Digimon Dreamers
by ChainALM
Summary: What was supposed to be the finals of a Digital Pet Fight Circuit took a strange turn as Takumi Akama and four others were summoned to the Digital World by the enigmatic Sanzomon. Now it's up to the group of five lost teenagers, and Partners that they've raised their whole lives but are only meeting for the first time to find and stop the Darkness besieging the Digital World.
1. Let's Get Ready To Rhumble!

"Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls and Children of All Ages!" _called an exuberant announcer on a raised platform, his voice booming from the large speakers on either side of him and into the room of thirty-two pods where people as young as twelve and as old as forty watched on. The announcer was a tall man with blonde frizzy hair, probably dyed, wearing a multi coloured long coat and a pair of red grill glasses. He looked to be in his thirties. Looking out to the crowd, he grinned._

"Ooh yeah! You and you alone! You are the pinnacle of the Digital Pet Fighting Circuit! You talented Tamers who have raised your Partners and fought, scratched, clawed out of tragedy and despair on the road to Victory. You are truly the best that the DPFC has ever had to offer. And here we are now, at the end. The months of local, regional and national tournaments have led to this. The winner of this tournament will go on to the World Finals. Ooh yeah!"

_A large cheer went out, thirty-two fists rising toward the sky, the announcer taking his microphone and getting the crowd to hush down as he continued the ceremony._

"Now, let's get down to the rules. Important things, rules.  
This is the end of the Circuit, and as such this tournament is to be decided by knockout rounds!"

_The crowd were less than enthused by this idea. Usually the tournaments were best two out of three. But now, one mistake meant that it was all over. These were fights to the finish. Literally. If you could not finish, you were finished.  
Thirty-two people would become sixteen in an instant, then eight, then four, then two, then the victor._

"Before you get in a huff, this has always been standard procedure, and is what is happening with DPFC Finals all over the world." _The announcer cut in over the mumbling and grumbling of embittered players._ "If you want to be the best, then you have to learn to survive outside of your comfort zones, which brings me to those pods!" _he proclaimed with a point and a chuckle._

"Hehe, ooh yeah! You brothers and sisters haven't seen anything yet. This is also the newest element of the DPFC, The World Capsule. Created specifically for this year's finals, and to be the EXCLUSIVE way to do battle in all future tournaments, the Capsule is the greatest testament of Digital Battle. No longer will infrared technology be used on the Grand Stage. Players will simply climb into the Capsule, plug their V-Twin into the appropriate slot, put on the provided headgear, and well, the Capsule does the rest.

Not only will inserting your V-Twin into the Capsule enable you to acquire the latest model of V-Twin, which is only available here today, but the Capsule allows you to create a fully functioning 3D avatar of yourself which along with your player data will be saved into the new V-Twin." _A murmur of wonder and surprise quickly filled the room._  
"Your wins, your losses and even your training regimens. Everything that makes you as a Tamer will be transferred to the newest V-Twin models, which you will be able to plug in to any Capsule in the world and continue as though you never left."

"Never left?" _questioned a few of the participants. Some were upset about the forced technology upgrade. Others were excited. Others had no clue what was going on. Some commented that these Capsules looked like expensive medical equipment and joked that the DPFC were intending to run military enforced CAT scans on them all as part of a government plot._

"You'll see soon enough." _the announcer replied._ "These Capsules are definitely a sight to behold brothers and sisters. Out of this world you might say, haha." _And with a tap on the nose, he encouraged the players to take their positions.  
The Capsules opened up, and the players jumped in. One such Tamer as they were called was a teenage boy with red eyes and spiky brown hair pushed back with a black headband and a pair of red goggles.  
He wore a black and white flannel shirt under a sleeveless red hoodie. Blue ¾ length pants were topped off by blue and red sneakers and a pair of white ankle socks._

Looking at the console in front of him, it was a large screen, to the right of which was a slot for the V-Twin, a small rectangular device with a monochrome LCD screen on it.  
Below the screen were two semi spheres with finger indents. Were these the controls, the teen wondered?  
The screen lit up with a list of instructions.

"Insert V-Twin!" _it stated with a vocal command, the teen looking at his pale device, staring at the LCD screen._

"Ready, Agumon?" _he asked before pushing the V-Twin into the slot._

With a whirr and a beep, the capsule responded to the V-Twin.  
"Choose model colour" _it said next, a list of colour options appearing on screen. The teen pushed Red._  
"Insert your name!" _was the next command, the teen reaching out to the touch screen and typing: Takumi._  
"Name: Takumi. Partner: Agumon. V-Twin Colour: Red.  
Are these parameters correct?" it asked as a "Yes/No" _appeared on the screen.  
Takumi hit 'Yes' on the screen, and the machine responded._  
"Creating Player Data, please put on the Digital Field Viewing Gear provided. Do not shut down the Capsule or remove V-Twin apparatus. Doing so may result in a loss of data."

_Figuring that meant the headgear, Takumi slid the DFVG over his head and onto his eyes. He had to push the goggles he was wearing around his neck to get it to sit in place. As he did, a new model of V-Twin, red in colour, popped up from the console, between the two hand controls._

"Awaiting opposing players. Please wait."

_Elsewhere on the floor, other contestants were going through their own motions with the new setup. One such boy was a blonde haired boy about Takumi's age who seemed to be getting bored with the song and dance being made of this getting turned into a spectacle. Judging by the console, his name was Shoji, and his Digimon of choice was Kamemon.  
Shoji had chosen a blue V-Twin and wore a white t-shirt under a blue shirt buttoned up to the middle. The sleeves were rolled up and a black vest sat over the shirt.  
He wore blue skinny jeans with an orange stripe down each side. Black boots with blue laces finished up the attire. The teen's eyes were hidden behind the DFVG._

A few feet away from Shoji was a girl with long dyed pink hair set in twin-tails with short bangs that fell on either side of her face.  
She wore a short sleeved pink dress with purple accents that sat over a long sleeved baby blue shirt with a large, ruffled turtleneck.  
The sleeves were long enough that they covered the girl's hands, but had holes for her thumbs.  
She wore baby-blue socks with pink and white trainers that rose up to the shin and folded out.

"Ugh, what am I meant to be doing?"_ she whined, pushing the DFVG out of her way as she leaned forward to read the instructions on the screen, jumping with a startled meep as the capsule spoke.  
_"Insert V-Twin!" _it stated with a vocal command, the teen looking at her pale device, staring at the LCD screen._

"Um, I guess that means you, eh Floramon?" s_he asked before pushing the V-Twin into the slot._

With a whirr and a beep, the capsule responded to the V-Twin.  
"Choose model colour" _it said next, a list of colour options appearing on screen. The teen pushed Pink, naturally._  
"Insert your name!" _was the next command, the teen girl reaching out to the touch screen and typing: Rina._  
"Name: Rina. Partner: Floramon. V-Twin Colour: Pink.  
Are these parameters correct?" _it asked as a "Yes/No"_ _appeared on the screen.  
Rina nervously hit 'Yes' on the screen, and the machine responded._  
"Creating Player Data." _the capsule spoke again._ "Please put on the Digital Field Viewing Gear provided. Do not shut down the Capsule or remove V-Twin apparatus. Doing so may result in a loss of data."

_Figuring that meant the headgear, Rina took the DFVG and slid it over her head and onto her eyes. Rina felt her twin tails getting caught in the head gear and pulled them loose. As she did, a new model of V-Twin, pink in colour, popped up from the console, between the two hand controls._

"Awaiting opposing players. Please wait."

_Right next to Rina's capsule was the capsule of another girl. She had wavy brown hair that fell midway down her back. She wore what looked like a dark green kimono and skirt mixed with a tracksuit. The kimono and skirt have mint green wavy designs embedded into them.  
Long black gloves with a gold trim cover from the knuckles upward. The gloves appeared to have arm guards built into the fabric. The girl wore thigh-high black stockings exactly like the gloves, complete with built in leg guards. On her feet, she wore flat sole sneakers._

"I should have a partner more suited to my talents." _the girl mused as she stared at the LCD screen._ "But admittedly, I raised you this way, and you have gotten me this far, so perhaps you are suited to my talents. Let's go all the way, eh, Elecmon_." said the girl solemnly as she pressed the pale V-Twin into the slot and typed in her name; Fumiko. Her green eyes quickly found the DFVG as her new green V-Twin appeared on the console._

And finally, at the back of the room, a much taller teen was climbing into his capsule. It was a snug fit given the boy's size, but as he got ready for the finals, he looked back to everyone else. There were thirty one other competitors, all here for the chance to go on to the World Championships.  
He gripped the V-Twin in his hand before tossing it in the air, catching it. He wasn't going to lose.  
Clad in a black leather jacket with metal spike on the shoulders, a black t-shirt and tight black jeans and boots that echoed his jacket, the young man had orange hair which was short, messy and wavy.  
His yellow eyes stared intently at the console as he went through the setup motions.

"We're not going to lose, are we Koemon? No! We're gonna tear 'em all to shreds!" _he said confidently as he typed his name into the console; Yusuke. _  
"What colour do I want? Hmph. I should pick something that shines like I do. Is there gold on this thing?"

_Settling on yellow, Yusuke put on the DFVG, the notice "Awaiting opposing players. Please wait." appearing on the screen, which he promptly ignored._

Finally, it appeared that everyone was ready. A large screen dropped down behind the announcer showing the brackets for the first round. In the capsules, the DFVG had activated, the players finding themselves in a wide open space. It was black and empty, but soon began to populate with many areas, ranging from raging volcanos to peaceful spring meadows to beaches with crashing tides. Really, if you could dream the area, it was starting to populate.

For Takumi however, things were a bit different. He was about to find himself in a rainforest setting, when suddenly everything went bright, causing the teen to groan and raise his arm to shield his eyes.

"Ech, so bright!" _he complained._ "Though, I have to say, that's some pretty nice graphics for a game.  
What is this? Augmented Reality? Virtual Reality?" _he asked aloud, looking around startled when his question was answered by a familiar voice._

"Nothing of the sort, I'm afraid." _the voice answered._ "This is all quite real, Takumi."

"Th-that voice! You're the Capsule Interface."

"To a select few, yes." _the voice responded._

"What are you t.." _before he could finish his question, he was cut off by the sound of people behind him. Turning around in the floating, shining space, Takumi found Shoji, Rina, Fumiko and Yusuke behind him. He hadn't a clue who these people were, and they hadn't a notion about him either._

"Is this part of the new setup?" _Shoji asked as the group of five started to descend._ "Are you my opponents?"

"I don't… I don't think so." _Rina spoke up._ "I was never shown my opponent on the screen thingy. And well, if we're supposed to be fighting here, where are our Digimon?"

"Maybe their data doesn't build until we're in a zone?" _guessed Shoji._

"Wrong again, Shoji." _came the voice of the interface._ "These people aren't your opponents, but rather, your teammates."

"My what?!" _asked Yusuke through grit teeth._ "I don't need a team!" _he declared._ "I'm more than capable of taking on everyone here by myself."

"Does anyone else find it creepy that she knows our names?" _Rina asked, pointing upward to add emphisis on 'she', earning a chuckle from the interface._ "Wh-what's so funny?" _Rina asked, looking around at the others until Fumiko spoke up._

"Not entirely. The system did ask us to input our names on the console after all, so it makes sense that 'she' knows who we are. It's hardly that surprising…"

"Rina. Rina Momoi." _the pink haired girl replied sheepishly._

"Fumiko Midorikawa. Pleasure to meet you. What about you, ginger? What's your name Mr. I'm more than capable of taking on everyone?"

"Yusuke. Yusuke Kiriyama." _he said with a glare._ "And we know that Blondie there is called Shoji, so what about the goggle head? Who are you, punk?"

"Shoji Aoyagi if you must know." the blonde interrupted, his blue eyes falling on Takumi. "However, despite his vulgar tone, Yusuke is quite right. You should go ahead and introduce yourself old boy."

"Me? Oh, right. I guess I should introduce myself, huh? Takumi's my name. Takumi Akama.  
Nice to meet you all." _Takumi's nervous laugh became a broad one. This was turning into the weirdest Digital Fight tournament he had ever entered. _  
"To think we're all talking through cyberspace like this. It's rather awesome."

"I've already said that that is not the case, Takumi." _spoke the voice of the interface again._ "But, come, it's time you learned just what's going on."

_The group's descent became faster until they hit the ground, or at least what felt like the ground. Truth is they couldn't tell what they landed on. It was hard, it hurt, but, they were still standing and floating in the middle of nowhere and nothing. Takumi noticed, and was disturbed by the fact that no zone had populated since the bright light appeared._

"This way!" _called the interface's voice as a large black archway formed across from group, each member figuring this was where the game itself would begin._

"Shall we then?" _Takumi asked, pulling the goggles up from around his neck and onto his head._

"Sure, why not?"_ Fumiko responded, following Takumi. _"I was looking forward to seeing what the graphics of this game were like up close anyway."__

"Well, if we don't I'm presuming that this game either never starts, have tor our would be opponents would get a bye because we don't show up."_ Shoji commented with a shrug as he followed Fumiko and Takumi._

"Ugh, whatever. I don't have time to mess around with you dweebs."_ scoffed Yusuke, charging on ahead of the rest of the group. Rina took a moment, and followed the group if for no other reason than to not be left behind._

Coming through the archway, the group found themselves in a large throne room.  
Red walls with gold designs, pillars with vases and other ornaments lined the room.

"Where are we?"_ Takumi wondered aloud as he looked ahead to see a female figure sitting on an ornate throne. She wore a tall gold crown with all sorts of symbols that Takumi didn't recognise and a long white robe with a golden one over it fastened at the side with a brooch in the shape of a sun. Her cleavage was exposed, while the lower half of her face was covered by a scarf that appeared to be a scroll, and the ends of her long, blonde hair were tied off with rolled up scrolls.  
Scriptures, scriptures, scriptures. This woman was covered in them as even the strips of material that fell from her crown were covered in writings._

To say Takumi was fascinated was an understatement. Nobody in the tournament lobby was dressed so dramatically. Was this person an NPC to the game, he wondered, noting the rosary beads on her ankle and draped over her right shoulder as the single o-ring strap on her left fell loose.

"No clue."_ Answered Shoji after what felt like an eternity to Takumi.  
_"Takumi, who is that woman?" _Rina asked, Takumi shaking his head.  
_"I've been trying to figure that out but…"__

"But your mind is racing with a million questions, right?"_ came that familiar voice. Takumi's eyes widened. The Interface? It was this woman? Impossible thought the group as they treaded slowly down the red carpet and toward the woman._

"Who…? Who are you, really?" _Takumi asked, his red eyes meeting the woman's golden eyes which closed before she chuckled and stood up. Takumi noting the red jewel on her forehead.  
_"My name… is Sanzomon."_ she began. _"I am the one who called you five to the Digital World. You Chosen Children will be the Digidestined who save this world from ruin."__

"The what?!"_ they all replied in unison._

"Digidestined." Sanzomon repeated. "In every age, when a great darkness threatens the stability of the Digital World, humans of extraordinary ability are called to vanquish it. I believe you five to be those humans."  
There was a dull silence as the group listened to what Sanzomon had to say. It was a part of the game they had not come to expect. What about the tournament and the knock out rounds? Was that all a ruse? An excuse to turn the Digital Pet Fight Circuit into a glorified MMORPG? And what about this woman? She calls herself Sanzomon. Sanzo Mon. Mon. None of the group had ever seen a Digimon like her.

"Sanzomon… you've said before that, or at least implied that what's happening here has nothing to do with the DPFC, so just what is it?"_ Takumi asked. _"We can't be expected to believe that this isn't a joke of some sort, or an extended part of the tournament. Can we?"  
"I suppose I am not to be surprised." _Sanzomon started. _"I have sprung this on you much too quickly I believe, but trust in my words Takumi. I am not here to deceive you or your friends. The Digital Pet Fight Circuit, and all the time you've spent with your Partner Digimon, it has not been for nought."

"Partner? That's right, we were wondering when we might see our Digimon!" _Fumiko interrupted. _"To be within the realms of this game for so long now and to not see our Digimon's 3D models, it's getting to be a drag Sanzomon."

"I already said, we likely won't see our Digimon until the game officially starts." _Shoji commented. _"Whatever these new rules are, it seems like we won't be able to fully understand them until after we've gotten through this RPG like backstory."

"I hate all this fidgeting and waiting around. Just let me see my Koemon already!"_ boomed Yusuke's voice as the very tall teen in leather bounded toward Sanzomon, only to be repelled quickly, not by Sanzomon, but… Takumi blinked. Another new Digimon?  
This one was for all intents and purposes a teenage girl in a swimsuit wearing a large pig costume. Takumi had no idea what to make of it._

"It's kind of gross cute!"_ piped up Rina, her eyes quickly falling to Yusuke to see that he was holding his face in pain? _"Wait, what just happened?"_  
Yusuke held his face as he picked himself up. _"Why does that hurt? This is just a game! Isn't…it?"__

"Thank you, Cho-Hakkaimon."_ said Sanzomon as the girl-pig Digimon spun its metal clawed staff and made a defensive pose. All the while, Takumi felt a change in the air. No game has the power to hurt a person. Not to repeat Yusuke, but as much as he might have deserved it, just what happened there?  
Takumi's train of thought was cut off as Sanzomon raised her hand, brandishing five cards with digital alphabet writing on them.  
_"Digidestined, I understand your urge to meet with your Partners. I shall not hold you back from that. You deserve that much. So here, I grant you these."__

Sanzomon threw the cards at the teenagers, each card finding the left arm of each one and binding itself to them. In a flash of light, a device appeared strapped to their wrist.  
For Takumi it was red, for Shoji it was blue, for Rina it was pink, for Fumiko it was green, and for Yusuke it was yellow.

"Another new V-Twin?"_ Takumi asked, Sanzomon shaking her head.  
_"No, this is the Digivice 01-X!"_ Sanzomon responded. _"Within it are your Partners. Raise your arms and call your Partners names followed by the word Re:Digitize.

_Takumi wasted no time, throwing his arm up. _"Agumon! Re:Digitize!" _he called, the screen of the Digivice lighting up and sending a beam of light out that took the form of an Agumon. A large one at that with red straps on its claws.  
_"Whoa! That's my Agumon?!"_ Takumi exclaimed in wonder, rushing to meet his Partner, who happily threw himself at the oncoming human.  
_"Takumi!" _it cried. _"Finally, finally, finally!"_  
_"Agumon!"_ the boy responded. _"You know my name!"_  
_"Of course I do! We've been together for a long time! I've been waiting for this moment since I was first hatched as a Botamon."_  
_"Me… me too, Partner!"__

This experience was unreal for all of them. Was it clever programming, or had their Digital Pets really taken on lives of their own. Shoji was next to find out. "Kamemon! Re:Digitize!" _A blue turtle Digimon appeared with a bow toward Shoji.  
Then went Fumiko with a proud _"Elecmon! Re:Digitize!" _A red and purple striped mammal on all fours with nine tails appeared, leaping into Fumiko's arms.  
Next was Rina, who was in awe at how well the other people were getting on with their Digimon already. They had only just met, hadn't they she wondered, holding up her own arm. Would her own Digimon love her like Agumon, Kamemon and Elecmon seemed to love their Partners. Rina gulped and called out. _"Floramon! Re:Digitize!"_ and just like the others, Rina was then staring at her own Partner, Floramon, the two shrieking for joy like high school girls as they rushed toward one another._

"Heh, guess you gotta save the best for last, huh?"_ Yusuke said, staring intently at his own Digivice. _"Alright! Let's rock it! Koemon! Re:Digitize!"_  
As Koemon, a green monkey Digimon with large feet wearing a lion cloth appeared, the five Digimon and five humans stepped back to take in the sight of one another. A nervous laugh broke out before evolving into a booming, joyous laugh._

"This is incredible!"_ Takumi said happily. _"To be able to interact with our Partners on this level is outstanding. The DPFC really outdid themselves with all of this!"_  
But the goggleboy's smile quickly faded as Agumon lowered his head and shook it.  
_"Agumon…?"  
"Takumi… this isn't part of the DPFC. That tournament never happened."  
"What?!"_ he exclaimed. _"What are you talking about?"__

"As he says."_ interrupted Sanzomon. _"Maybe you'll listen now. You five have been summoned to this Digital World from the Human World. The Digital Pet Fight Circuit was simply the means for how that came to be. It could have happened another way, it would have, but you five are the Chosen Children meant to be the Digidestined that will save this world together with these Digimon."__

"But what do you mean the tournament never happened?"_ Fumiko asked as the Digimon joined their Partner's sides. Shoji watched on with crossed arms, weary of how long this backstory might carry on for. Were Takumi and Fumiko really going to buy into it that much?_

"The tournament was compromised by a vagrant AI acting on its own from within another V-Twin."__

"Vagrant AI?"_ Fumiko questioned._

"One of the combatants hacked the V-Twin, applying parameters and abilities that are unable to be set via the default settings. When this was connected with the DPFC's Digital Field Viewing Gear, a malicious program was allowed to run rampant through the Capsule Network with the intent of Decoding the other players Digimon, effectively eliminating them as a threat before seeping into the Digital World. But you five, your Digimon overcame that and that in turn allowed me to summon you all here."__

"Man this backstory is meta."_ Yusuke piped up. _"I mean, really? One of the other tournament fighters tried to rig the competition. That's the backstory here? If that's true, I'll tear the sucker apart and Koemon here will run rampant on the "hacked" Digimon. Leave it to us. We got this."

"Humility really is not your strong suit, is it Yusuke?"_ Sanzomon questioned, her eyes catching something glistening in the monkey Digimon's tail. Her eyes narrowed, but she quickly returned to the task at hand, convincing the group that this was not a game.  
But suddenly there was a rumbling, and the room began to shake and crumble._

"Cho-Hakkaimon! We've been found. We must escape for now!  
Digidestined! Heed my words this final time that you have been drawn into something much greater than a game. The Digivices and your Partner Digimon will show you the way. It's a matter of life and death and you must all work together. None of you are greater or lesser than the other. You all have a role to play here. And with that, I shall send you to the Grass Zone. There I hope you learn more about each other and yourselves. Until the next time we meet!"__

Using her magic, a gateway opened behind the children and Digimon that sucked them through, also, a shining shard of energy followed through, also sent by Sanzomon. In the commotion, nobody realised it nor took notice as it attached itself to Koemon and vanished.  
When the group were out of harm's way, Sanzomon created another void for her and Cho-Hakkaimon to escape through as the girl-pig Digimon destroyed anything that came in contact with Sanzomon. And as the room was finally emptied, it was destroyed, numerous shadowy figures standing over the ruins.

"The monk and her bodyguard got away."_ came a deep, brooding voice.  
_"And the intruders?"_ questioned a second voice.  
_"The same. Though it appears they did not all escape together."  
"Interesting. Well then, my comrades, it would appear that the Digital World is once again going to see some real… FUN! Ahahaha!"__

_**END**_


	2. Roar, Partner!

"Waahhhhh!" _cried out the Digidestined as they were flung from the portal Sanzomon had sent them through only a moment ago, landing with a thud on a grassy plain._

"Ugh…" _groaned Takumi, extending his left arm and glancing to the orange Digivice on his wrist._ "Is everyone ok? Agumon?"  
"I'm ok, Takumi." _came Agumon's voice from within the Digivice._  
"Good to know. Hey, what are you doing back in there?" _the boy asked. _  
"The Digivice pulled me back in as soon as I went inside the portal Sanzomon opened." _Agumon replied._

"Kamemon too." _came Shoji's voice as the group slowly pulled themselves up from the ground. _  
"And Floramon." _spoke Rina._ "Actually, it looks like all our Digimon are back inside the Digivices. Floramon! Re:Digitize!" _Rina held up her arm and Floramon appeared before her.  
The others followed suit, Koemon climbing up onto Yusuke's shoulder upon release and with Agumon by his side, Takumi looked around to take in their new surroundings._

"So much grass and flowers, and all those hills." _he started, working out a travel path._ "What did Sanzomon call this place? The Grass Zone?"  
"Certainly lives up to its name, huh Takumi?" _Agumon replied, the brown haired boy nodding at his dinosaur companion. _  
"Haha, yeah. And with all those hills, why not just call it the Green Hill Z—"  
"So, Takumi…" _Rina interrupted._ "Got any idea where we should go from here?"  
"Not the foggiest. This as new to me as it is for all of you. Agumon? What about you? Surely you know this place, right?"

_Agumon looked around and sniffed the air, Fumiko looking on sceptically as Elecmon played about at her feet. _  
"Really? We're going to be led by the lizard and his giant frog monster nose?" _she quipped, which earned a chuckle from Yusuke and Kamemon. Fumiko was about to brush it off when Agumon piped up happily. _  
"FOOD!" he proclaimed, taking a big whiff and following the scent.  
"H-hey! Agumon! Wait up!" _Takumi called, chasing after the yellow dinosaur. This time it was Fumiko who chuckled. _  
"I guess we are… All right then, come on guys before we lose them."

_Shoji, Rina and Fumiko gave chase to Takumi and Agumon and their partners followed. Yusuke snorted, a glaring expression on his face. _  
"What is this? Follow the leader?" _he quipped, Koemon nodding._ "You and I are ten times stronger than that goggle brain and his big, dumb lizard. We should prove it by finding others and eliminating them from this tournament!"  
_Koemon nodded, making a fist thrust motion and pointing in the opposite direction from where the others had run off to, but as they were about to set foot that way, both of their stomachs rumbled. The idea of food, the feeling of eating was just too much to bear._

"Mrgrgr!" _grumbled Yusuke._ "Tch, fine. I guess we'll follow the morons for now, but after that, we split. And if they get in our way, we take them down too!"

_Yusuke and Koemon followed on, their hunger allowing them to catch up quickly. Agumon's nose had led them to a village, but it seemed more like a castle town to the group with its moat and drawbridge, its stone wall surroundings and its iron gate._

"The food, Takumi!" _Agumon began with a mouth-watered pant and he took another great sniff._ "It's in there! And oh boy, oh boy, oh boy it smells. So. Good!"  
"Alright, Agumon. Calm down." _Takumi said with a laugh, patting his partner on the head._ "We don't even know if they'll let us in."  
"Well, only one way to find out." _Shoji interrupted, reaching for the bell string and tugging it, the bell ringing loudly._ "That food does smell delightful, whatever it is. But, pray tell, what do Digimon eat, I wonder."  
"Good point actually." _Fumiko commented._ "On the V-Twin, food is represented by meat on a bone, but, in the context of all this, where we can somehow be right next to our partners… what does it actually mean? Is our hunger even real? Or just a feeling brought on from the Fight... Pod… Thingies…? Hmm."  
"Still think this is all a game, huh?" _Elecmon asked, speaking for what felt like the first time since all of this started. Fumiko picked him up with an inquisitive look. She finally settled on ruffling his fur._  
"I don't know Elecmon. I just don't know right now, but the lack of any other humans is something I'm starting to find ultra-creepy."

_Finally, a Digimon approached the gate, a scarecrow puppet looking Digimon with an equally puppet looking crow attached to the raised right arm. Takumi's Digivice beeped, the boy looking to see what caused it. Tapping a button, a projection of information on this Digimon was given._

Nohemon, an Armour Champion level Digimon.  
Its attacks are Delusion Claw and William's Arrow.

"BKAW! What do you want!" _came a voice, not from the scarecrow, but the bird itself._  
"Honestly, we don't know." _Takumi answered._ "We're uh, new around here and don't really have any sense of direction or any idea where in Grass Zone we are."  
"BKAW! Go away! No outsiders allowed. This village is on lockdown. BKAW!"  
"Lockdown?" _Fumiko questioned._ "From what? Or who?" _Shoji chimed in._  
"Maybe we could help?" _Takumi continued, but once again the puppet dismissed them._  
"KAW! I've already said too much. Leave now! KAW!"

"Tch. What a rip off!" _Yusuke's voice boomed, the tallest member of the group obviously annoyed._  
"What good is being this Digidestined thing that Sanzomon was rambling about if she treats us like gold dust and this bag of hay treats us like coal. Oi, Nohemon! You let us through or Koemon and I will rip the stuffing out of you. Literally!" _Koemon made a punching gesture for emphasis._  
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Yusuke! Calm down!" _Takumi said shocked by the outburst. While it was true that Yusuke was a bit rougher than the other four, this was taking it too far._ "Look, I don't quite get what it means myself, but, I'm pretty sure that being Digidestined or whatever means doing the exact opposite of all that. If there's something going on here, we should try to help, not exacerbate the problem."

"And just who made you the leader, goggle brain?" _spat Yusuke._ "Don't forget. We're all opponents here, so don't go playing Mr. Nice Guy. Unless that's your strategy in this game, Takumi Akama."  
_A staredown between Takumi and Yusuke ensued, Agumon snarling at the quiet Koemon, who readied the giant slingshot on its back._  
"BKAW!" _interrupted Nohemon._ "Digidestined. That is a term that has not been used around here for as long as I can remember, kaw. And with all this bickering, it's hard to believe you five to be such a thing. Can you prove it?"  
"Prove it?" _pondered Shoji, looking to Kamemon who took his partner by the arm and dragged him to the front of the group, pointing at the Digivice on Shoji's wrist._  
"The Digivice is proof." _Kamemon stated before going quiet again._

"PKAW! THE DIGIVICE! THE HOLY RELIC!" _Nohemon chimed as an aura surrounded the scarecrow and it began to lift the gate._ "Please, come inside the village."  
"I can't believe that worked." _Takumi said quietly as he watched the exchange between Kamemon and Nohemon._ "Agumon. Why didn't you think of that?"  
"Sorry Takumi." _the dinosaur Digimon replied frantically._ "I'm just too hungry to think. Oh where oh where is that delicious odour coming from?"  
_As Agumon ran inside, Takumi thanked Nohemon for inviting them in. Fumiko followed Takumi's example and thanked Nohemon on behalf of the rest of the group. Rina and Elecmon stayed close to Fumiko and Elecmon, and as Yusuke and Koemon charged right by them, the pink haired girl whispered to the other girl._

"If a fight actually broke out, who do you think would have won?" _she said._  
"Takumi." _Fumiko said without a beat or hesitation._ "Yusuke doesn't seem all that bright about anything except being a loudmouth. Though, if you want, we could always egg them on and find out." _the girls giggled, Rina shaking her head. _  
"No, that's alright. I don't think I'm ready to find out yet whether this actually is all part of the game or not. Everything here is so beautiful and intricate. To have that ruined with the realisation that it's all clever AI and CGI…"  
"I know what you mean, Rina. I don't quite like the idea of just being a consciousness on a server. That's almost scary."  
"I know, right!" _Rina gasped._ "Ohmigosh! I mean, what if there was a glitch and we were trapped here while our bodies lay in a coma back in the real world! We could be hospitalised for life!"  
"Calm down, Pinkie." _Fumiko said, grabbing the girl before she hyper-ventilated._ "That sort of thing is impossible. If we're playing a game, then, if anything happens, we'll just see each other in the hall where we started. If not, and this is all real… then… then I have no answer right now."

_Fumiko's heart sank a little as she thought about it. If this was all real, then what about the other players? This was a group of five out of thirty-two contestants in the Digital Pet Fight Circuit finals.  
Had they just lost their spots? Could they really be comatose like Rina suggested? No, that was impossible, right? The girl's mind was a muddle, but she was intent on finding out the truth.  
Looking back to Rina, she sought to relieve the worried look on the girl's face._

"But, I'm sure we have nothing to worry about. So cheer up. Can't let Takumi and Shoji see us worrying, now can we? We need to just go with it like they are." _Rina smiled at this and nodded._

_Meanwhile, Takumi was scanning every Digimon that ran by him; Prairiemon, Lopmon, Patamon. There were tons of Digimon and despite their worries, it was a joy to see all of these Digimon in the flesh, or as close to 'in the flesh' as you could get.  
Agumon had found the cooking. A giant cauldron surrounded by a Wizardmon and Witchmon as they concocted a brew and sang a song, feeding Digimon who came up with bowls._

"What exactly have we stumbled upon?" _Shoji wondered, taking a moment to take a step back and take in his surroundings. High, wide walls with Digimon on patrol along them, his Digivice identified them as Knightmon and Ignitemon, broken and burnt roofs and buildings, the roofs either made of straw, or tiled buildings patched up with straw._

"PKAW!" _Nohemon spoke up, as if to answer Shoji's question, the blonde staring across the area to see Takumi and Agumon surrounded by the village inhabitants while Yusuke skulked in a corner, a bowl of food in front of him and the ever silent Koemon. The girls had stuck together, they and their partners seeming to get into the spirit and helping the Wizardmon and Witchmon serve food._  
"Quite the couple, aren't they?" _Nohemon continued._ "It's so hard to believe that those two once had an intense rivalry, but when tragedy struck this Zone, both Witch and Wizard put their differences aside and came to aid the masses in the name of a greater good."

"Tragedy?" _Shoji questioned, Nohemon nodding._  
"Some time ago, a great virus spread through the Zone and our leader, Minervamon, disappeared. Ever since then, this entire Grass Zone has been subject to one onslaught after the next. Many Digimon have been deleted as a result, and the village is the last standing. Rumour is a horrible thing, but they say that Minervamon has become corrupted by the virus and is the one sending these monstrous generals to besiege our Zone. She was always a firecracker and a hothead for sure, but I don't believe Minervamon capable of doing such a thing. She loved this Zone dearly and would give her life for it. But others…" _Nohemon's voice lowered._ "Others are convinced that they hear her laugh, corrupted and demonic like a whisper in the wind."

"Minervamon…" _Shoji said silently._ "Not a Digimon I'm familiar with, truth be told, but I just wish there was a way we could help."  
"Oh but you already have." _Nohemon noted._ "The smiles on the Digimon of this village are proof of that. We all try to help one another here. To try and stave off the worry that we may be bombarded again at a moment's notice. But for them to see that those wielding the Digivice, the Digidestined, have come. It has certainly brought a twinkle back into the eyes of the younger Digimon that I thought was lost perhaps forever. BKAW!"  
"I never realised that title could mean so much." _Shoji lamented, his eyes falling to Kamemon who had left and come back with two bowls of food for himself and Shoji._ "When Sanzomon called us that, well, it seemed like something out of fiction. We did think we were playing a game after all. But, looking around at all of this, old chap, I'm getting more and more convinced that Sanzomon was correct and that we have somehow, almost miraculously, stumbled into something greater. I will admit however, I shall feel like a fool if I'm proven otherwise."

"You are very well spoken for someone so young. A game, you say?" _Nohemon questioned._ "Tell me, youngster. Just under what circumstances have you come to find yourself in the Digital World? I recall your more hotheaded companions mentioning such a thing at the gate."  
"Hm, yes, well, you see…" _Shoji began when suddenly the Knightmon on patrol called out:_ "ELDER NOHEMON! INCOMING! MADLEOMON!"

"What? Incoming Leomon?" _Takumi asked, the Digimon surrounding them shaking their heads as some hid behind the goggle boy and Agumon._  
"No, MadLeomon. A Leomon who used to protect this village who has been corrupted by the same virus that took Minervamon." _A Prairiemon told them, her voice trembling. Takumi and Agumon looked to the Knightmon and Ignitemon who were already launching attacks at the incoming monster, a large blue lion with lanky arms covered in leather straps that looked like a zombie.  
It was completely feral, rushing toward the village, seemingly undeterred by the bombs that Ignitemon was throwing at it._

"Brace yourselves! Everyone! Get to safety!" _Knightmon called. Mass panic ensued, villagers running around like headless chickens. Rina and Fumiko left the aid of Witchmon and Wizardmon in order to try and create some kind of order. Shoji enquired about where they hide in times like this, and Nohemon pointed them towards an underground cellar. Takumi and Agumon called to the girls.  
Floramon and Elecmon were to create a path to the cellar while the girls themselves opened it for them._

"Go, now!" _Takumi called to the surrounding Digimon as MadLeomon came bursting through the stone wall, its body heaving with each breath while Elecmon created an electric fence to prevent the villager Digimon from going anywhere near the danger.  
Takumi looked to MadLeomon, trying to get a reading on his Digivice._

Name: MadLeomon  
Level: Champion  
Attacks: _Fist of the Fallen Beast King and Necrotoxin Claw._

Agumon was snarling at it, fire filling its mouth. **"BABY FLAME!"**_ Agumon roared, launching a fireball at MadLeomon, but it just bounced off of him.  
_"Takumi, if you wanted to fight against other Digimon, this is your chance. A chance to show you that this isn't the game you thought we were going to be competing in before."  
"I believe you, Agumon." _Takumi replied, extending his arm and telling Wizardmon and Witchmon to take refuge with the others.  
_"We all do!"_ Fumiko's voice spoke up as she and Elecmon stood next to Takumi and Elecmon.  
_"That's right!"_ replied Rina. _"I don't really understand all of this, but there's just no way that this can be faked. That's how I feel anyway."_ Floramon took a battle stance next to Elecmon.  
_"And to think that I was just getting acquainted with Nohemon."_ Shoji added as he and Kamemon joined the fray. _"This MadLeomon chap really knows how to spoil a meeting, doesn't he?"_  
_"You guys are really falling for this joke?"_ Yusuke commented. _"Not exactly fair, is it? Four of you ganging up on that one MadLeomon and its Tamer who…"_ Yusuke paused and looked around him. _"Actually, just where is that Digimon's partner? Come out and fight you coward!"

"There is nobody here but me, pathetic human!" _growled MadLeomon._ "I am more than a match for you and your pet monkey. So, if you're feeling Brave, try me. I will make you famous."  
"You hear that, Koemon?" _Yusuke said with a smirk._ "The Blue Meanie here is itching for a fight. Well, why don't we take it to him, huh? Digivolve, Koemon!"  
"What?!" _everyone called as Yusuke hit the first and third buttons on the Digivice. But nothing happened. Koemon was still Koemon._  
"Hey, what the hell is going on! This Digivice is broken! We're in the middle of a battle here. Why won't you Digivolve?!" _As if to make matters worse, a gold band appeared around Koemon's head._

Takumi looked to the red Digivice on his wrist. Could it really be THAT different from the V-Twin? Are these the new rules? Or does the fact that this is all real change how Digivolution works?  
"Agumon! Digivolve!" _Takumi cried, attempting the same thing as Yusuke. But again, nothing._  
"Kamemon, Digivolve!"  
"Digivolve, Floramon!"  
"Elecmon! Digivolve!"  
_They all tried the same thing, but again, nothing._ "What's going on?" _Takumi wondered, but his train of thought was thrown off as MadLeomon began to laugh hysterically._  
"Oh, you precious little humans!" _he bellowed._ "You almost had me there. Digivolution. Nothing more than a myth I'm afraid. But let me show you something that's quite real! My **FIST OF THE FALLEN BEAST KING!**"

_The attack tore through human and Digimon alike throwing them all to the ground, cries of pain ensuing as everyone pulled themselves up._ "We have to fight back!" _Takumi called out._  
"**ALLERGY SHOWER!**" _cried Floramon, pollen coming from the flowers on the ends of her arms that surrounded MadLeomon. The group watched on in the hope that it would do its job and paralyze the enemy Digimon, but all MadLeomon did was sneeze it off._  
"You want to try and poison me? Try a real poison! **NECROTOXIN CLAW!**" _MadLeomon through its long arm and sharp claws at Floramon, but the attack was intercepted by Agumon who fired off another Pepper Breath just in time. MadLeomon roared as the fire hit him right in the face and went on the assault against Agumon, thrashing about._  
"**POINTER ARROW!**" _came Kamemon's attack, a guided missile that struck MadLeomon in the back, taking his attention away from Agumon._  
"**SUPER THUNDER STRIKE!**" _called Elecmon, attacking MadLeomon, Agumon coming into the battle once more_ "**PEPPER BREATH!**"

_Meanwhile, Yusuke and Koemon were trying to get the gold band that had appeared on Koemon's head off of him. It was no use. It seemed to be stuck on there. Getting tired of their messing about, Takumi yelled at Yusuke._  
"Hey, tough guy! If you're as awesome as you say you are, why don't you and your Partner get over here and help?"  
_Yusuke scoffed, glaring at the goggle boy, his yellow eyes narrowing as he popped the collar of his leather jacket._ "Can't you see that Koemon and I are busy here? We'll come and bail you guys out once we get this stupid thing off his head."  
_Takumi growled lowly, waving Yusuke off and turning back only to be sent flying to the ground as Agumon crashed into him having been knocked through the air with ease after a backhand from MadLeomon.  
Looking around, the group was all over the place, MadLeomon was attacking everyone without hesitation, with no rhyme or reason to his attack patterns. If you were in his way, you got the brunt of an assault. Pulling himself up, Takumi stared down MadLeomon. He was getting a whole lot more than he bargained for today as MadLeomon loomed over him, raising his clubby arm and swinging it down on top of Takumi.  
_  
"I will flatten you first, human!" he bellowed.  
"Not if I can help it! You keep away from him!" _Agumon's voice called out, the yellow dinosaur Digimon rushing to Takumi's aid, raising his arms in an attempt to brace for the impact of MadLeomon's blow. It worked, but it really didn't. MadLeomon flattened both Takumi and Agumon into the ground, leaving them in a small crater._

"TAKUMI!" _Fumiko called out as the girl in the tracksuit-kimono hybrid clawed onto her stomach._  
"**SUPER THUNDER STRIKE!**" _Elecmon attacked, but the attack was stopped dead in its tracks by MadLeomon's Fist of the Fallen Beast King._  
"**SWEET SCENT!**" _Floramon called, putting out an aroma that it hoped would entrance MadLeomon. But the Digimon was effectively a zombie, it had no effect on him._  
"**'MET TACKLE!**" _Kamemon had rolled into a ball and launched itself for a body attack on MadLeomon, the enemy Digimon squashed Kamemon into the ground the same as Takumi and Agumon._

"Everyone's fighting for us, Agumon." _Takumi whispered, turning his head to the left to see Agumon at his side._  
"We should really go and help them then, eh Partner?" _Agumon responded._ "After all we've done to get here, it hardly seems right that we be defeated now."  
"Heh, you're right about that. When today started, I really didn't know what to expect from the tournament. But being given the chance to meet you like this, and not just raise you from an LCD screen… I can't give that up now. But this, this is something I've dreamed of."  
"To have the chance to fight by your side, Takumi. I wouldn't give that up for anything. And we can't let MadLeomon just take it away from us. You've taken me to lots of cool places from the V-Twin. Your home, your school, other tournaments. And we've fought a lot of strong guys. And now I want… Now I want to explore the Digital World with you."  
"That's right. I had a feeling that you hadn't been here. No way could you be in the V-Twin and here at the same time, right?"  
"Right, so how about it, Takumi? Are we just going to let this guy walk all over us?"  
"No, we're gonna walk all over him! He's our stepping stone toward winning the DPFC when this is all over!"

_Just then, a bright light shone from the Digivice on Takumi's wrist, the light taking the form of a shining circle of Digicode. Agumon's right arm had the same thing happen._  
"Takumi. This feeling. I think I can do it now!"  
"I think I understand! Let's go Partner!"

_As Takumi and Agumon had their moment, MadLeomon was stalking toward Yusuke and Koemon.  
Now that they were in immediate danger directly, Yusuke was daring MadLeomon to even try and do a fraction of the damage to him and Koemon as he had done to the other four weaklings.  
Koemon had his slingshot at the ready, but before MadLeomon could knock some sense into the red head and his monkey Digimon, Takumi called out._

"Hey! Why don't you pick on someone your own size?"

_MadLeomon turned on heel to see the Digivice on Takumi's wrist glowing with the same light as Agumon's wrist._  
"Just what are you going to try now, feeble human? Have you really lost what's left of your senses?"  
"Not quite! Actually, you could say what you did jolted them. See, Agumon and I have been talking and well…"  
"We don't think you gave us a fair shake, MadLeomon. So how about it? Try us on for size again!"  
"Hmph! Foolish miscreants. Very well! "**FIST OF THE FALLEN BEAST K—**"

"Agumon! Digivolve!" _called Takumi, he and Agumon crossing their golden rings and an unfathomable power overwhelming the Digimon._

"**AGUMON DIGIVOLVE TO….**"

"What?" _roared MadLeomon as Agumon erupted into a pillar of light._  
"No way!" _laughed Shoji._  
"They figured it out?" _asked Fumiko._  
"Takumi! That's amazing!" _chimed Rina._  
"No way! I'm the best! How did that pipsqueak get it to work before us?" _Yusuke groaned._

"**TYRANNOMON!**" _roared the Digimon that appeared in place of Agumon. The large red T-Rex with green markings and spines running down his back immediately charging at MadLeomon and grabbing the zombie lion before throwing him back over the village walls._

"So cool!" _Takumi said with a cheer, following Tyrannomon as he charged after MadLeomon. The other humans and Digimon also followed, the cellar door opening to show Digimon creeping out from it, also rushing to see what was going on.  
Tyrannomon loomed over MadLeomon, swiping at the Digimon with his tail, knocking him back onto the ground._  
"Finish it, Tyrannomon!" _called Takumi, fire building up in Tyrannomon's mouth._  
"**BLAZE BLAST!**" _Tyrannomon called covering MadLeomon in flames from head to toe._

"This isn't the end, human! I will return! And not only that, the other two Generals now know you exist! You will not take the Zone Code from us. We shall be victorious. Just you wait!" _MadLeomon said through roars, snarls and growls as it began to disappear from sight._  
"And we'll be waiting!" _Takumi said as MadLeomon disappeared, its body breaking up into data particles and vanishing, causing a large cheer to erupt from behind Takumi and Tyrannomon, who turned around to see that the whole village had come out to see the duo's victory.  
Tyrannomon reverted back to Agumon and the two reunited._

"That was awesome! No! YOU were awesome!" _Takumi said happily as he rubbed his Partner on the head before hugging him._ "You did it, Agumon. You saved everyone!"  
"Aw shucks. I couldn't have done it without your help, Takumi. You were every bit as awesome as you say I was. But just one thing, maybe you could indulge me."  
_Takumi smiled ear to ear and replied._ "What is it, Partner?"  
"Feed me! Because I am starving!" _Agumon demanded, holding his stomach his eyes getting a spiral effect to show he was dizzy from hunger. Takumi just laughed._  
"I guess Digivolving really took it out of you, huh? Say, Nohemon, could you possibly—"

"Say no more, Takumi. I think it's the least we can do after the great service you've done us today." _The scarecrow Digimon replied as he led the villagers back into the village, and as Takumi attempted to follow on, he was stopped by Fumiko and the others._  
"Well done, old boy!" _Shoji said first, tending to a wounded Kamemon._  
"Indeed." _Fumiko followed._ "That was a fantastic show of bravery in the face of certain death that Elecmon and I can only hope to follow. Thank you, Takumi. We are indebted to you in more ways than one. Isn't that right, Elecmon." _Elecmon could just give a smile. He was too weak right now to say anything else._  
"That was so cool, Takumi." _commented Rina. _"I never thought Digivolving could look so pretty. But thank you for saving us all, Takumi. And you too Agumon."

"Don't sweat it!" _Agumon responded._ "We're all friends here, right?"  
"Right." _Takumi said with a nod._ "And with that in mind… I need to talk to you guys about something."  
"Ah, the other two Generals that MadLeomon mentioned I presume." _Shoji guessed. _  
"That's right." _Takumi replied._ "I don't know about you, but…"  
"No, I think we know where you're going with this, and for the most part, I'd say we agree."  
"That's right." _Fumiko said._ "It wouldn't be right for us to just leave knowing that two others could just show up at any time and try to finish what MadLeomon started."  
"Yeah!" _said Rina._ "That cellar won't protect them forever. We have to try and do something!"  
"So, we're in agreement then?" _Takumi asked, looking to Agumon, and then back to the others and all their Digimon. Everyone nodded, save Yusuke and Koemon who were just aggravated more than anything else._ "Tch, whatever." _Yusuke muttered._

"All right then!" Takumi said happily. "Let's go and tell Nohemon that he'll have a few extra guests for a while."  
"I just hope Agumon's hunger doesn't clear out their pantry while we stay." _Rina joked, the group laughing as they step back through the broken village wall and go to rejoin the villagers._

**END**


	3. Dance Through The Danger

"YYYAWWWWWNNNN!" _Shoji let out loudly as he and the other humans rose from their slumber. It had been a long night; the feast that the village had thrown for the Digidestined in honour of their defeat of MadLeomon had turned almost into a festival. A part of Shoji felt bad that it had been allowed to get to that stage; these villagers were supposed to be refugees after all. What food they had was limited, and what resources surely weren't to be squandered on some blow-ins from another world, right?_

Sitting up, he turned to find Kamemon staring at him. Shoji ruffled his own hair to set it back in place and get rid of any bed hair, but it just made him look worse.  
"Mornin', chaps." _he said finally, Kamemon smiling before offering Shoji a cup of tea. Every human had one, Takumi letting out a nervous laugh as if interpreting Shoji's confusion._  
"I dunno, man. We woke up, and he already had one ready for us all." _Takumi said jovially. _  
"Indeed." _commented Fumiko._ "After how long last night went, no, the whole day, this is actually quite considerate of your Partner, Shoji."  
"Yeah! It was super nice of Kamemon to do this for us. Thank you, Kamemon!" _Rina chimed earning a pillow to the head form Yusuke.  
_"Shaddup willya!?" _he bellowed._ "Some of us are still trying to get some shut eye!"  
"H-hey! Yusuke! Watch it! I nearly spilled my tea!" _Rina complained. _  
"If he wants to sleep longer, I can certainly help with that!" _Floramon commented, readying her hands, pointing them in Yusuke's direction. This was immediately met by Koemon who glared a hole through the floral Digimon while readying his oversized slingshot. Floramon snarled until Agumon came between the two, extending his arms to keep them separated._

"Guys, guys!" _Agumon started._ "This isn't the time for this. Not while we're guests of this village. Now, knock it off!"  
_The tension was heated, Agumon not knowing if either Koemon or Floramon would even listen to him, but after a moment, Floramon lowered her arms, and Koemon his slingshot. Agumon was the only one who could Digivolve, and as Takumi's Partner, he had seniority, though none of them dared say that aloud, not that Koemon was one for words anyway._  
"That's better." _Agumon said with a smile, earning a thumbs up from Takumi, and an approving nod from Fumiko who was stroking Elecmon who was snuggled on the girl's lap.  
_  
"Hehe, anyway Shoji, you've quite the voice on you!" _Takumi teased with a grin._ "You really can belt one out when the moment strikes, can't you?"  
"Oh yeah!" _commented Fumiko and Rina simultaneously causing Shoji to blush and lower his head._  
"I… I just got caught up in the moment, that's all." _the blonde replied, his messed up bed hair good right now for covering his eyes._ "It couldn't be helped."  
"You must really enjoy music then?" _guessed Fumiko._ "Or have you aspirations of being a musician? A singer, perhaps by how you 'took the stage' last night?"

_Shoji had gone silent. This was all new to him. He got so carried away with the festivities the night before that he really hadn't thought of how the others might react the following morning. He remembered Wizardmon and Witchmon casting spells to create fireworks while some other Digimon began to play instruments in tune to a beat created by a small group of Dondokomon. He really hadn't cared much for the song and dance that the tournament MC had made before, and yet, here he was getting into a song and dance of his own._

"Yeah, he was alright I guess." _came Yusuke's voice, the larger teen now sitting up and drinking the tea that Kamemon had brought him._  
"Only _alright_?!" _Rina protested._ "Do you remember what happened when YOU tried to steal the spotlight, Yusuke? You sang that bad that the person that didn't have a headache was Nohem—Oof!"  
_Yusuke's response was to throw another pillow at Rina to shut her up._  
"I thought I told you to shaddup, Pinky." _he said with a gruff tone._  
"Heh, it would seem that all Yusuke is good for is trying and failing to steal the spotlight." _Fumiko remarked, her right eye opening slightly to glance at Yusuke. _  
"Well, whatever." _Elecmon piped up._ "I thought Shoji was pretty cool."  
"Yeah, I think we all did." _Takumi replied._ "Even if Yusuke doesn't want to admit it, haha."

_Shoji raised his head and stood up, looking around frantically for the exit. Looking up, he finally caught sight of it; the village had converted their bunker into a makeshift room for the ten guests. _  
"Um, thank y…" _he trailed off, bursting out of the cellar and into the village, the morning sun catching his reddened face. Back inside the bunker, Takumi chuckled. _  
"I guess we embarrassed him, huh?" _Agumon questioned._  
"Pretty much, Captain Obvious." _replied Takumi._

_Outside, followed by Kamemon, Shoji found Knightmon and Ignitemon. They were re-building the wall that MadLeomon had crashed through the previous day during his onslaught._  
"Ignitemon, Knightmon. Good morning." _Shoji called, Ignitemon dropping a large grey block in place as both turned to face Shoji. _  
"Good morning, Digidestined." _Ignitemon said._ "Nice to see you up and about so early. Did you and your companions sleep well?"  
"Oh, yeah. Like logs. Thank you very much for having us." _Shoji responded, looking to the wall._  
"Nonsense!" _exclaimed Knightmon._ "After what you did for us, it was the least we good do good sir!"  
"Well, the least you could do meant a lot to me and my friends, so I thank you on their behalf. We are most grateful. May Kamemon and I help with the repairs?"  
_At Shoji's question, both Knightmon and Ignitemon looked to one another._  
"Well, now that you mention it… There is something if we could be so bold as to ask of you Digidestined." _Ignitemon started._

"What is it?" _Shoji questioned, looking at the two Digimon. He had offered to help, so why were they so nervous about asking he wondered._  
"Sir Shoji." _Knightmon spoke up, clearing his throat._ "While we might rebuild this wall as we have done countless times, we fear that it is not as structurally sound as it may have been in times past, and yet, with this war going on, we have not been able to get supplies to reinforce the wall and help prevent further breakages."  
"Indeed. Our duties as guardians of this village have prevented us doing our duty." _Ignitemon continued. _  
"So, you want my friends and I to get you your supplies?" _Shoji questioned, both Digimon nodding._ "Sure thing. What do you need?"

"Oh, great Sir!" _Knightmon exclaimed._ "We'll be truly forever in your debt if you can pull this off. There is a mine not too far from here with a material known as Chrome Digizoid…"  
"Chrome Digizoid, huh?" _questioned Shoji._ "Where I'm from, it's referred to as Digi Chromazoid. We have mentions of it being powerful defensive armour for all kinds of Digimon.  
"Well, that's true, which is why we seek to reinforce the walls with it." _Ignitemon replied._ "We rebuild the wall, make it look like the usual stone walls on the outside, but on the inside, it would be layered with Chrome Digizoid. We look weak to most enemies…"  
"But have a tough structural integrity." _Shoji finished._ "Sounds like a sound plan, but isn't it kind of rare?"  
"Rarity depends on colour. We could do with some red, but basic, unrefined Chrome would suit our needs just fine." _Knightmon answered, and almost as if on cue, the others bounded from the bunker, stretching and yawning as the morning sun and air caught them almost off guard._

"How much do you need, Knightmon?" _Shoji asked as the other humans and Digimon said their good mornings to Nohemon and the other Digimon who were now starting to awaken and come out of their homes. _  
"As much as LoaderLiomon is willing to part with." _Ignitemon answered. _  
"Who's LoaderLiomon?" _came Takumi's voice as he and Agumon joined Shoji and the others. _  
"He's the Digimon who runs and controls the Digizoid mine." _Ignitemon answered. _  
"I see. Hm. Should be fun, eh Shoji?" _Takumi said with a smile. _  
"I don't know if fun is the word I would use, old boy." _Shoji replied._ "But so long as it doesn't turn into a repeat of yesterday, then we should be able to do this quickly enough."  
"Shall we go then?" _Fumiko asked. _  
"Let's go!" _Takumi replied before turning to Ignitemon._ "So, uh, which way do we g—"  
"TAKUMI!" _screeched Agumon._ "Can't we at least have breakfast before we go?"

_At the mere mention of food, the stomachs of both human and Digimon alike rumbled._  
"A-Hah!" _chuckled Takumi._ "I uh, I guess we got carried away. Maybe a bit of strength building wouldn't hurt before we took off, eh?"  
_Shoji rolled his eyes while Fumiko covered her mouth with the back of her hand to hide her own laugh._

A while later, the group found themselves among the green hills of this zone. Nohemon had instructed them to journey west, the Digizoid Mine was buried deep in the mountainous region that greeted them as they ventured west.

"Such a drastic change in scenery." _Shoji commented._ "Are we in a new Zone?"  
"I… I don't think so…" _Rina replied._ "It's a wild guess, but, remember that portal that monk Digimon, um, what was her name, Shinzo…Sambo…no…um…"  
"Ooh, sandwich." _chimed in Agumon, his comment going ignored by the group. _  
"Sanzomon." _Fumiko commented._  
"Er, right. Sanzomon." _continued Rina, regaining her composure._ "Remember when she sent us through a portal after meeting her? Maybe that's how Zone travel works here?"  
"Hard to say…" _Shoji commented._ "There was nothing like that on the V-Twins to even hazard a guess at such a thing."  
"How about it, Agumon? Care to give us a clue?" _Takumi asked, the dinosaur Digimon shaking his head. _  
"No idea. We've been with you this whole time, remember?"  
"That's right. You Digimon are as lost in this world as we are."  
"Well, whatever, chaps." _Shoji said._ "It would appear as if we've found our destination."  
"That's convenient." _Fumiko replied, Rina nodding as Yusuke kept uncharacteristically quiet._

In front of them was a cave entrance where whirring and the sound of rocks being crushed could be heard almost as soon as they stepped inside. As they stepped in, the area flickered, digital code running across the landscape.  
"So that's them." _spoke a gruff voice, focus coming onto a large blue dinosaur with orange stripes and a blade on the end of his tail._ "The Digidestined." _he growled, the three horns on his skull cap glistening in the sun._  
"That's right sir!" _replied a smaller dinosaur. It looked like Agumon, but was blue, green and covered in military gear._ "Reports say it was the one with the Agumon who took down MadLeomon."  
"Interesting." _The larger dino responded._ "And it was only him?"  
"So the reports say."  
"Then, that's our plan. Cut him off from the rest of the group, and then we shall cut them down one by one. We shall not underestimate these children like MadLeomon did."  
"Understood, sir. But what of LoaderLiomon?" _the military clad dinosaur asked._  
"He is not our concern, Commandramon If he interferes with the operation, then we shall deal with him. Right now, our Primary target is the human and his Agumon."  
"Sir, Greymon sir." _replied the smaller dinosaur._

_Inside the cave, the group continued their walk, plugging their ears to keep out the construction noise. _  
"Are we there yet?!" _Rina asked, raising her voice._  
"What?" _asked Fumiko._ "I can't hear you!"  
"What? I can't hear you. Are we there yet?"  
"What?"  
_This continued until Yusuke had had enough, taking his fingers from his ears and attempted to scold the two for continuing this back and forth, only to be met with a double_ "We're glad we can't hear you!" _before stopping and turning to one another as if they'd realised they'd said the exact same thing. The two girls began laughing, and suddenly the noise stopped, the girl's laughter sounding like the cackle of hyenas in the sudden quiet. A moment that quickly caused them to blush and look away, which in turn gave the boys their own chuckle._

"Alright, alright." _began Takumi._ "Does anyone have any idea where that was coming from?"  
"I think I do!" _Shoji replied._ "It might have sounded like it was coming from everywhere, but the reverberations were distinct."  
"Is that your musician's ear talking?" _Takumi asked._  
"Sh-shut up!" was all Shoji could muster. "It's coming from this way! Come on!"

_Shoji took the lead here, darting forward and to the right. The rest of the group followed and soon enough they were met by a large, mechanical golden lion._

"LoaderLiomon?" _Takumi wondered, raising his Digivice to get a reading._ "Ultimate level? Whoa!"  
"That device!" _spoke the mechanical lion._ "Who are all of you?"  
"My name is Takumi Akama, and these are my friends Shoji, Fumiko, Rina and Yusuke."  
"I'm not your friend, guy!" _spat Yusuke, Takumi shaking his head._  
"We were sent by the last remaining village in the Grass Zone for acquire DigiChromizoid to help reinforce the village against more attacks from the dark generals that besiege the village."  
"Humans and Digimon, working in tandem." _spoke LoaderLiomon quietly._ "I never believed such myth would come to pass in my time. But yes, this Zone, much like you say is besieged by a great virus that has turned good Digimon into bad ones. Unfortunately, a way of purifying the virus outside of total eradication is unknown. If it is to help the Minerva Village, then yes, I would be happy to com—Shh! Do you hear that?!"

"Drilling!" _Shoji was the first to say._ "Takumi get out of the way!"  
"Huh? What?" _Takumi was taken completely by surprise as the ground opened up beneath him, swallowing him and Agumon as a large purple and white Digimon with a drill nose sped past the group drilling into the rock above them._  
"TAKUMI!" _called Fumiko._  
"Drimogemon_!" noted Shoji before realising Fumiko was about ready to jump into the hole after Takumi, and she almost succeeded, only to be pulled back by Shoji._  
"What are you doing? We have to escape before the same thing happens to us!" _the blonde scolded, the green haired girl peering into the pit their leader had fallen through. _  
"But we can't just leave him behind!" _she protested._  
"We're not!" _Shoji assured her._ "We'll be back for the old boy. Trust me."  
"Digidestined! Run!" _commanded LoaderLiomon as the rock above them caved and crumbled, the mechanical lion throwing his metallic body into the fray to save them as large pieces of debris fell into the pit Takumi had fallen through._

"You heard the lion!" _Yusuke spoke._ "Let's make like a tree and get outta here!" _Koemon nodded as the red head made his getaway. _  
"It's make like a tree and LEAF, you moron!" _Floramon yelled._ "Leaf as in leaf on a tree. As in LEAVE!"  
"Not now, Floramon!" _said Rina as another Drimogemon drilled another cut off path through the group._ "AIEEE! No good! We're all going to be separated at this rate!"  
"Rina, jump!" _came Fumiko's voice as she and Elecmon leapt across the divide, the green haired girl turning on heel and offering a hand to Rina. _  
"I can't!" _cried the pink haired girl._ "It's too wide! I'll fall just like Takumi!"  
"And we'll all get smushed if you don't try." _encouraged Floramon._ "Come on now, Rina. You can do this. I know you can."  
"I.. I… I'll try." _Rina said finally as she took a few steps back for a running jump. As she ran however, she misstepped before leaping._  
"Rina!" _Fumiko called, desperately reaching out further and only barely managing to grasp Rina's hand. The misstep threw off Rina's centre of gravity and she lost her grip on Fumiko, plummeting into a chasm much as Takumi had before._ "RINA! RINA, NO!" _It was all Fumiko could say as she stared across the chasm at Floramon. The plant Digimon shook her head before diving into the chasm after Rina._  
"Fumiko! We have to move!" _said Elecmon, catching his Partner's attention._  
"Er, right!" Fumiko answered, scooping Elecmon up and continuing to dash after Yusuke and Shoji, the girl in the tracksuit like kimono finding the two at a cross road in the mines.

"Where's Rina?" _Shoji called._  
"She fell… just like Takumi." _Fumiko replied, lowering her head. _  
"No…"  
"Damnit, Pinkie." _Yusuke grunted._ "First Goggle-brain, now you…"  
"He… he actually sounds concerned." _Fumiko said lowly to Elecmon._  
"Right. Let's head right!" _Shoji says, the remaining two nodding and following his lead, Koemon was on Yusuke's shoulder as usual, while Fumiko held Elecmon close. Kamemon was keeping up a steady pace.  
As they ran, they were suddenly met by a small squadron of Commandramon, guns aimed squarely at the humans. _  
"Of all the times we could have used Floramon's Allergy Shower." _Fumiko scoffed._  
"So, what now?" _Shoji questioned._ "I don't think turn and run is going to work here.  
"Then we cut a path right through them!" _Yusuke said, Koemon leaping from Yusuke's shoulder and launching one hundred pachinko balls from his slingshot. _"**BABY SLING!**" _Yusuke called in Koemon's stead, the pachinko balls distracting the Commandramon squadron just enough for the group to run past them._

Yusuke got caught though, debris falling in front of him, cutting him off from Fumiko and Shoji as a yellow insect with drills on its nose and hands.  
"Digmon!" _Fumiko mentioned as Shoji pulled her forward and toward a light at the end of the tunnel.  
Bursting out of the cave, the group came to a standstill as they found themselves surrounded by more Commandramon. But not only that, the blue lurking terror of Greymon was staring them in the face.  
_  
"So… you are the remainder of the Digidestined, hm?" _Greymon growled._ "So much promise, and you let it all just… fall away eheheh."  
_Shoji snarled, but Kamemon and Elecmon rushed into the fray._  
"**'MET TACKLE!**" "**SUPER THUNDER STRIKE!**" _they called, taking on a portion of the Commandramon whilst another portion took fire on the humans. Fumiko and Shoji quickly dodged, ducking behind a large boulder._  
"What do we do?" _asked Shoji._ "I wasn't quite expecting Kalashnikov wielding Digimon."  
"Not much we can do but trust in Kamemon and Elecmon." _Fumiko replied._ "If only we had Takumi's Tyrannomon to even the odds."  
"That can't be helped now. Though, if we don't survive this, we won't be able to go back – for any of them."

_It was then that the gunfire ceased. Had Elecmon and Kamemon won? Peeking up from behind the boulder, fear ran through Fumiko and Shoji as their eyes caught their Partners, captured by the Commandramon and laying at Greymon's feet._  
"Kamemon! No!"  
"Mweh heh heh!" _chortled Greymon, squashing down on Kamemon._ "Come forward, humans. If you wish to see your Digimon spared." Shoji gulped and slowly crept out from behind the boulder and stepped forward. Fumiko, refusing to let Shoji or Elecmon be alone, followed after him.

"What do you want?" _Shoji asked as Greymon kicked the Rookie level Digimon back to their Partners.  
_"To watch you burn!" _Greymon roared, fire quickly billowing in his mouth as he called his attack. _"**MEGA FLAME!**"  
_Shoji and Fumiko reacted on instinct, grabbing their Partners and diving out of the way of the stream of fire._  
"That's it! Dance for my amusement you impudent humans! Commandramon! Put them on their toes just a bit more, mweh heh heh!"  
_The Commandramon opened fire again, causing Shoji and Fumiko to almost literally dance around the bullets while dodging Greymon's flame breath._  
"We're out of our depth here! We can't keep dancing forever. Sooner or later, they'll get us."  
"He has very good foresight you know." _Greymon taunted._ "Eventually, we are going to win, and bury your bodies with those of your fallen comrades."

_This drew an ire from Shoji, and seemingly Kamemon too, the turtle Digimon suddenly bursting from Shoji's grasp and throwing himself at Greymon. _  
"**'MET TACKLE!**" _came the cry as Greymon took the brunt of Kamemon's attack. The idea of a mere Rookie even grazing General Greymon caught the attention of the Commandramon who stopped firing, allowing something unprecedented. Fumiko launcher HERself at one of the small blue dinosaurs with a roundhouse kick, knocking the Kalishnikov from its grasp and into her own hands, Elecmon following up with his Super Thunder Strike. Greymon grunted, regaining his composure, looking up to see Fumiko aiming the gun at him while a few toasted Commandramon lay smoking in a heap._  
"A minor contrivance." _Greymon scoffed._ "**BLASTER TAIL!**" _he roared, firing at Fumiko, but the blast was intercepted by Elecmon, the force of the blast being enough to drive them both back and slam against the cave's outer wall.  
_"Fumiko! Elecmon!" _cried Shoji as Greymon loomed over him and Kamemon._  
"And then there were two. How does it feel to be alone? To have seen all your friends fall to their doom right before your eyes? Digidestined? Hardly. You're not strong enough to help them. You're not good enough to stop me."

"What did you say, old boy?" _Shoji retorted with a twinge in his eye._ "Not good enough? Is that what you said?"  
"Hmm, struck a nerve have I?" _Greymon asked with a laugh._  
"My name is Shoji Aoyama, ranked number 2 in the Digimon Pet Fight Circuit. I am more than good enough to defeat a measly Greymon!"  
"You forget your place, boy!" _Greymon roared._  
"No, I don't. My place is here, with Kamemon, with Fumiko and the rest of my friends. What you did, I'll never forgive. So how about a jolly good show of just what I can do?! A Greymon that wears headphones. How fitting, cause Kamemon and I are going to rock your world!"

_A tense feeling filled the area, an aura starting to build from Kamemon and the Digiovice on Shoji's wrist._  
"Grrr. What are you doing, boy? I demand to know!" _snarled Greymon._  
"You put my life in danger, and have attempted to take the lives of my friends."  
"What do you mean attempted? There is no way they survived those falls or that platoon of Commandramon."  
"Then it's all the more reason to fight back. I won't surrender to the likes of you. I'm more than just good enough."

_Just like Takumi before, a gold band surrounded the left wrist of Shoji and the right wrist of Kamemon._  
"Do it, now Kamemon!" _called Shoji as he and Kamemon crossed their wrists._ "DIGIVOLVE!"  
"WHAT?" _roared Greymon._

**KAMEMON DIGIVOLVE TO….**

_A shining pillar surrounded Kamemon, and when it had disappeared, a much taller turtle was in his place. It had beady eyes, and webbed hands, a pale stomach bandaged in the centre and seemingly stitched onto the main body.  
It wore headphone around its neck and orange dreadlocks with a CD on its head, and yellow webbed feet along with a duck bill._

**GAWAPPAMON!**

"COMMANDRAMON! OPEN FIRE!" _Greymon roared, the remaining Commandramon firing on Gawappamon who danced through the assault with ease using its Gawappa Rapper dance attack.  
The newly evolved Digimon then set its sights on the Commandramon, spinning discs from its head like razor blades. _  
"**DJ SHOOTER!**" _Gawappamon called, the CDs cutting right through the Commandramon's artillery as Gawappamon leaped into the air._  
"**BLASTER TAIL!**" _Greymon boomed, but Gawappamon zipped past the attack and reeled back its arm._  
"**GAWAPPA PUNCH!**" _the turtle called, knocking Greymon off its feet._ "**MEGA FLAME****_!_**_" it roared back in protest, but Gawappamon danced through the danger, assaulting Greymon again with another punch._

"Now, finish this, Gawappamon!" _Shoji called, his Partner nodding and attacking Greymon with a multiple DJ Shooter barrage, the discs cleaving through Greymon._  
"Impressive." _said Greymon as his data began to digitize._ "Your rythym with that Digimon is superb. You would make a fine General for her majesty."  
"Don't count on it!" _Shoji commented as Gawappamon flipped back to his Partner's side and the two watched Greymon vanish._  
_Without their commander, the Commandramon ran for their lives, Gawappamon reverting back to Kamemon before rushing to Fumiko and Elecmon's aid. They had already come around. _  
"Fumiko!" _Shoji called with worry in his voice. _  
"So, the singer gets his own DJ, huh?" _Fumiko remarked as she pulled herself and Elecmon up. They had seen the whole thing._ "That was amazing. I'm sure Takumi and the others would have loved to see it."  
"This area should be safe now. Let's go and find them!"  
"No need for that!" _came a familiar voice through the rock._ "**BORING STORM!**"

_LoaderLiomon burst through the wall, carrying Takumi and Agumon. Following him, was Digmon carrying Yusuke and Koemon. And following them was an orange and white wolf with a drill on its  
forehead, two on each hind leg and a large drill on the end of its tail carrying Rina and Floramon on its back._  
"What in the world?" _Shoji asked, looking at the Digimon._  
"It seems LoaderLiomon isn't the only one who takes care of the mines." _Takumi answered, climbing off LoaderLiomon._ "Digmon and Dorulumon also have a role to play here. Dorulumon is the one who saved Rina, and Digimon crashed the Commandramon party to help Yusuke out."  
"And after you left, I burrowed down into the mine to save Takumi." _LoaderLiomon cut in._  
"What about the Chrome Digizoid?" _Shoji asked._ "That's why we came out here in the first place.  
"The mines are in ruins thanks to the Drimogemon. It'll take some time to get them back in order." _LoaderLiomon said._ "But, I managed to give Takumi some to help out the Minerva Village."  
"We hope it's enough for their efforts." _said Dorulumon._ "We'll be glad to help when we can as thanks for dealing with the General…"  
"Greymon." _answered Shoji._  
"You defeated Greymon!" _exclaimed LoaderLeomon._ "Congratulations, child."  
"Well, yeah. Once Kamemon Digivolved to Gawappamon, the blue menace didn't know what hit him." _Shoji replied, patting Kamemon on the head._

"So that's two of us that can Digivolve?" _Agumon asked excitedly, leaping off LoaderLiomon and rushing to Kamemon._ "Yipee!"  
"Yeah! That's brilliant news!" _exclaimed Takumi._ "Well done you two."  
"Oh that's nothing!" _said Shoji, trying to divert the attention away from himself._ "You should have seen when Fumiko roundhouse kicked one of the Commandramon."  
"Wait, she did what?!" _asked Takumi and Rina, Fumiko blushing as all eyes were suddenly on her._  
"Yeah, whatever. If it wasn't for Koemon and I, none of that would have happened." _spat Yusuke as he rolled his eyes at the group._  
"Geez! Way to be a buzz kill, Yusuke." _Rina griped. Takumi sighed._

"Alright then, well, before the two of them get into it again, maybe we should head back to the village and deliver this Chrome Digizoid." _he said._ "I don't know about you guys, but I'm exhausted after all that."  
"Agreed." _Shoji replied._ "Let's get going. We don't know who the next General is, or where they'll strike from. We need to prepare and be ready."

_Takumi and Shoji both stretched and yawned before the group said their goodbye to the three drilling Digimon. As they headed back to the Minerva Village, Takumi's mind trailed off. Would tomorrow be as dangerous he wondered. Would the group face enemies so evil and willing to kill them from here on out? It was a scary thought. Who would be next to have their Partner Digivolve?  
Looking at Shoji and Kamemon, they were caught up in their own conversation. It seemed serious.  
Takumi wanted to intervene, but thought the better of it, falling back to chat with Fumiko while Rina and Yusuke bickered the whole way back.  
They reached the village, and Takumi went about giving the supplies to Knightmon and Ignitemon who had rebuilt the wall. As the group began to recant tales of their adventure, it was Shoji's turn to fall back. He reached into his shirt and took out a pendant in the shape of a guitar pick. He looked to the Digivice on his wrist and then to Kamemon._

"We are good enough. Eh, Partner."

_Kamemon smiled and the two continued back into the village to join the others._

**END**


	4. Petal Dance

"Well then, I guess that settles it!" _came Takumi's voice as we see the group circled around a map on a table in their bunker/lodging._ "We're heading to the Flower Garden Village!"  
"Flowers! Are you serious?" _asked Floramon, hope in her voice. _  
"Yeah. Have you not been listening this whole time?" _Takumi asked, the floral Digimon shaking her head._  
"Sorry, Takumi. I guess my head has been elsewhere all day. I'll do better, promise."  
_Takumi paused, looking at the Digimon before shaking his head. _  
"Don't worry, Floramon. You did nothing wrong, but hey; let me go over it again."

_We flash back to the previous night where Knightmon and Ignitemon were rebuilding and reinforcing the Minerva Village walls. Wizardmon and Witchmon were there too to help, being some of the elder Digimon in the village. Knightmon would set up the bricks, while Ignitemon would reinforce them with the Chrome Digizoid obtained from the Digizoid Mines._

"How much longer can we keep this up?" _Knightmon wondered._ "Without Minervamon, this village is at a loss. Nohemon is doing his best, but sooner or later…"  
"I know." _interrupted Ignitemon._ "You think I don't know that? Minervamon is my sister and even then, her powers don't transfer to me in this situation. The only reason I have any hope that she's still alive is because this Zone hasn't crumbled in on itself."  
"Yet." _Knightmon said dryly._ "But maybe all we can do is try to keep morale high. The Digidestined have certainly helped with that."  
"Agreed, my friend." _remarked Ignitemon._ "But…" _he trailed off with a sigh._ "There is a Mammothmon in the room here that we have yet to address…"  
"Ah, right. Of course. Sooner or later, they will have to leave."  
"Exactly. Sooner or later, they will have to move on to the next Zone."  
"What do we do then?" _Knightmon pondered._

"About what?" _came Takumi's usual jovial voice._  
"Oh! Takumi sir!" _replied Knightmon._ "Nothing, sir. Just tempering this Digizoid is proving problematic."  
_Takumi could tell Knightmon was lying. It must be a pretty serious issue if the stalwart Digimon was trying to throw him off._  
"Is there anything Agumon or I could help with?" _Takumi asked._  
"No, not at all, sir." _Knightmon replied._ "You've done enough for us today."

_Just then, the sound of the village bell rang out, followed by a desperate plea for help. Takumi and Agumon rushed to the gate where they found a bird Digimon with a large bush of roses for a tail. It wore a damaged crown, and its golden beak was cracked and chipped.  
Takumi used his Digivice to scan the Digimon._

"Deramon." _He said silently, before nodding to Agumon to raise the gate._  
"What happened to you?" _Takumi called, as the gate rose the young boy rushing to the bird Digimon's aid._  
"Flower… Village… Gone…" _Deramon answered with staggered breath._ "Dark… General …Razed…The…Village…Everyone…Gone…"  
"Deramon! Hold on! Agumon! Why haven't you gone to get help?"  
_Agumon gulped as Takumi scolded him, but Knightmon and the others had already come to see what the problem was._  
"Witchmon! Wizardmon! Can you both help him?" _Takumi asked as the Deramon he was holding began to flicker._ "No! Hold on, Deramon!"  
_Deramon looked up, staring at Takumi._  
"Human… You must… Digi…Dest…Mayb…Y….St…Mer…" _Deramon spat out before disintegrating in Takumi's arms, the young man visibly upset as he was soon holding a Digiegg. Wizardmon stood over Takumi, taking the egg from him. _  
"That look in your eyes, Goggleboy." _He commented as the brown haired boy's eyes steeled._ "I've seen it before in only one other." _Wizardmon started._ "The Flower Garden Village lies to the east of here. But, I ask you, be careful."  
_Takumi stood up, glancing at Wizardmon who was still holding the egg, and then to Witchmon who nodded in agreement with Wizardmon._

"Come on, Agumon!" _Takumi commanded._ "We head out in the morning. Let's go inform the others."

_Cutting back to that morning, Floramon replies with an_ "Oh yeah! I feel bad now for not remembering. Sorry, Takumi."  
"It's fine." _He said through a gulp._ "You weren't there. And besides, all of the Digimon were asleep when I told the others."  
"While that may be true, Takumi." _came Fumiko's voice as she placed a hand on his shoulder._ "Floramon needs to learn to be more alert to her surroundings and the tasks at hand."  
"Waaah! Rina!" _Floramon cried._ "Takumiko are ganging up on me!"  
"Taku…"  
"…miko?" _asked Takumi and Fumiko in parts, Rina just giggling as she watched the awkward look on their faces get even more so._ "Floramon! I told you to be quiet about that!" _Rina quipped, sticking her tongue out at Takumi and Fumiko._  
"Anyway!" _cut in Shoji, hoping to bring some order back to the group._ "If we take what Deramon said to heart, the third and final General of this Zone is to be found in the Flower Garden Village."  
"Am I the only one that finds it odd that we're only just finding out that this village was destroyed?" _Yusuke asked, earning stares from the rest of the group._ "What? I might not care for you Scoobies, but I do pay attention. I didn't get to be the best Digimon Fighter on my dashing looks alone you know."

"Oh somebody PLEASE shut this guy up!" _Floramon whined, Koemon taking a pebble and launching it at Floramon in retaliation. But Fumiko, as if without missing a beat simply outstretched her hand and caught the pebble, dropping it before glaring at Yusuke. Every guy gulped, Takumi trying to nervously laugh through the tension. _  
"Um, Yusuke, why don't you wait until we're fighting the enemy and keep Koemon in check, huh?"  
"He's a free spirit. Just like me." _Yusuke replied, pointing to himself with his thumb. Koemon retracted his slingshot however, his gaze falling back to Fumiko who had intercepted his attack. Elecmon chuckled from his perch above the group. _  
"You know, I really hope he proves to be useful one day, old boy." _Shoji whispered to Takumi, the goggle boy nodding in response._  
"Yeah, agreed." _He replied._ "Right now, he's just proving to be a headache."  
"How about we just get a move on and hope this headache gets lost on the way."  
_Takumi laughed lightly, nodding as he slapped Shoji on the back._

"All right then guys and girls!" _Takumi said._ "Let's get moving. There's another General out there that needs a beat down courtesy of us ten. We don't want to disappoint the enemy, do we?"  
"No sir!" _replied the group in unison, Takumi shaking his head._  
"Been taking lessons from Knightmon while my back has been turned have you?" _the red-eyed boy asked before turning and leading the group out of the cellar cum bunker.  
As the group assembled, they were met by Nohemon, Knightmon and Ignitemon. Each of them had a serious look on their faces, causing Takumi to wonder what's going on as he recalled Knightmon being less than honest with him the night before._

"BKAW!" _Nohemon cawed._ "You're heading for the Flower Garden Village in the east then?"  
"That's right, Nohemon." _Takumi replied._ "Given what happened last night, we've enough reason to believe that the last of the Dark Generals is there."  
"If he was willing to raze the village, there must be a reason for it." _Ignitemon commented. _  
"Aye. But why?" _Knightmon said, joining the discussion._ "We were under the impression that we were the last remaining village. Is that why? Did they strike there again to weed out any refugees or stragglers?"  
"Or to send us a message!" _Rina proclaimed, gaining a look from everyone else._ "To attack and destroy a flower garden. To rid the world of something unquestionably beautiful. And then to let just one lone, dying survivor come and tell us… This is a trap! They know we're here!"  
_The humans, Digimon and villagers suddenly froze at this realisation._  
"But then…" _Takumi started._ "The moment we leave… they could…"  
"BKAW! Stop that, Digidestined. You must not lose faith so quickly."  
"Huh?"

"Nohemon is correct, sir." _Knightmon said._ "We've been protecting this village and its inhabitants before you all arrived. And we'll do it again after you're gone!"  
"Gone?" _asked Takumi._ "We're only going to the next village. We'll be back."  
"That's not what he means, Takumi." _Ignitemon said._ "He means when you leave this Zone."  
"Huh?"  
"Ah, I see…" _Fumiko commented._ "If this works out the way we hope, then stopping the next Dark General should bring harmony to this Zone, at which stage we would have to move on to the next one."  
"Oh… I… I never even considered…" _replied Takumi lowly as he realised what he caught the tail end of Knightmon and Ignitemon discussing the night before._  
"Go, Goggleboy!" _spoke up Wizardmon._ "We will be fine and protect this village in your stead."  
"And the Digiegg?" _asked Takumi._  
"Witchmon is tending to it. You needn't worry. Deramon shall be reborn in time."  
_Takumi looked to Agumon and after a few moments, they both nodded and turned back to the others. _  
"Alright! Let's do this!" _Takumi called, turning and making his way out of the village with Agumon as the others followed behind him._

_Another journey through the Grass Zone, but this one was filled with dread more than the previous time, with each member of the group continuously looking back toward the Minerva Village as if waiting for the first chance to dash back there and help the friends they'd left behind._

"This tension, by George it's getting us nowhere, now is it?" _Shoji spoke up._ "Say, I have an idea… Why don't we get to know each other a little better? That might settle our nerves for a bit."  
"Um, sure." _Takumi replied, shaking his head and trying to keep his mind off the Minerva Village and on the Flower Garden Village._ "Who wants to go first?"  
"I will." _Fumiko replied._ "If nobody else minds, that is."  
"Sure thing." _Takumi answered._ "I have no problem with that."  
"Maybe we'll learn just where she learned to kick a Kalashnikov out of a Commandramon's hands and take it for herself." _Shoji commented, Takumi nodding with a smile._  
"That sounds awesome actually. I really wish I hadn't missed it!"  
"Sh-shut up! You idiots!" _Fumiko yelled, lowering her head as her face went red, hiding her face behind her hair._ "That was just me getting caught up in the moment. I didn't do it for you...r amusement!"  
"Well, it still helped save Shoji and gave him time to help Kamemon Digivolve." _commented Takumi._ "You should be proud, Fumiko. So, tell us. I'm guessing by that outfit that you do some sort of martial arts?"  
"That's right, Takumi. I'm trained in Kendo." _Fumiko replied, raising her head back up._ "I'm also studying Karate under my grandfather. He is the one who encouraged me to be more disciplined.  
That Commandramon had its guard down, and I was able to take advantage of that. Nothing else. Had it realised what was going on and fired, there is a very good chance that I wouldn't be going on this mission with you Takumi."

"Sounds cool actually." _Takumi replied._ "The closest I get to that sort of thing is the movies. What about Digimon? How did you get into that?"  
"Seems like you, all right." _Fumiko commented._ "If I've noticed anything about you, it's that you are passionate about Digimon. More than anyone I've ever known. For me, I guess you could say it was another spur of the moment thing."  
"Oh really?" _asked Takumi._ "Just on a whim decided to tame Digimon, huh?"  
"It's not like that." _Fumiko answered._ "Between school studies and my training with Grandfather, I rarely had time for something that was just me. One day, I was passing by a store, and I met a person who was showing his friends the ins and outs of the game with his V-Twin. And from there I decided to pick one up for myself. Never could I imagine that it would have brought me to the real Digital World."  
"Yeah. Really makes you wonder how much the people who created them know. All that backstory and lore on the packaging and the instruction booklet…"

"Well for me, my story is almost the opposite of Fumiko's" _Rina jumped in._ "My V-Twin was a gift from my dad. I really wanted one of the other types. You know the more girly, non-battling type? Becoming a Digimon Tamer was never something I ever envisioned."  
"Wow. I'm hurt, Rina!" _called Floramon, causing Rina to turn and hug her Partner tight._  
"Did I say I regretted it?" _she asked._ "No! My poor dad, I'm the only girl in my family, so I get spoiled and he tried so hard to find me the digital pet I wanted, but ended up having to get a V-Twin when everywhere sold out of the fashionable version."  
"So, I'm not fashionable?" _Floramon stomped her foot._  
"Floramon! You're taking this too seriously. We hadn't even met yet!"  
"Hmph!"  
"Anyway, I was a spoiled little brat, so naturally, I freaked. The V-Twin wasn't egg shaped. It wasn't pink. It didn't have a floral design on it. I threw it back in my dad's face, literally, and the plastic cut his cheek. He just walked out of the room. He was so disappointed even I could see it in his eyes. So, to try and make it up to him, I opened it up, and while reading the instruction book, I seen Floramon's sprite in an example evolution tree. And I love flowers, I really do. I got so excited when you said we were visiting a whole village of them. Flower arranging is a hobby of mine believe it or not."  
"You don't say." _grunted Yusuke._ "I mean really, the girly girl with the pink hair and flower Digimon is into flowers and flower arranging. Colour me shocked. Wussy hobby if you ask me."  
"Is kindness a sort of impossibility for you?" _Takumi asked, annoyance in his voice._  
"Tch. I'm just stating the obvious, goggle-brain." _Yusuke retorted, only to drop to his knees as Fumiko had had enough and endeavoured to give the larger young man a swift kick between the legs from behind, Yusuke letting out a howl as he grabbed himself in pain._

"So, you raised the Digimon with the sole intention of getting Floramon?" _Shioji questioned, trying to get things back on track, Rina nodding in agreement. _  
"It might seem selfish of me, but seeing that a "stupid boy's toy" could have a flower monster I could use and raise and beat up other, uglier monsters. In my head, that's how I was going to make it up to my dad - by raising Floramon to be the best Digimon ever."  
"I really don't know what to say." _Floramon commented._  
"And as I raised Floramon from her Tanemon form after the Digiegg hatched, I started loving her more and more every day."  
"Awww, Rina!" _Floramon squealed, the two hugging tightly again and laughing and giggling._

"Heh!" _smirked Fumiko, glancing to Takumi._ "What about you?"  
"We're here." _he replied._  
"Already?" _asked Shoji._ "These trips feel like they're getting shorter."  
"Plot convenience is our friend I guess." _Agumon responded, shivering as a chill ran through his body. The other Digimon did the same thing. The area looked like it glitched out as a stream of blue code ran across it._  
"What was that?" _asked Elecmon._  
"No idea, but it makes my code feel physically ill!" _Floramon replied._  
"It has to be coming from inside the village." _commented Agumon as they took a good look at it._

A large wooden archway inside a steel frame greeted them. It was burnt, and the steel was melted. Along the top of the walls were large trays and pots.  
"This whole area feels so barren and cold!" _Rina spoke up, shivering._ "It looks like it held some beautiful arrangements, but, this Dark General, whoever it is; he stripped this village of its life. Of its livelihood."  
"Shall we go in then?" _Agumon asked, Takumi kicking the gate down, it just dropping off its hinges._ "I guess that's a yes." _Kamemon patted Agumon on the shoulder as the group entered. Meanwhile, Yusuke was still picking himself up off the ground._

Inside, the village was as barren as they feared. Buildings were nothing but the bottom bricks before the foundations and support beams that were so charred, they were just beams of ash held in place waiting for the wind to blow them down and away.  
"Is… is this what the Minerva Village looked like at one point?" _Takumi wondered, looking over to Rina who was on one knee, drawing her hand across the earth._  
"Guys!" _Shoji called._ "Over there!" _Shoji pointed to an area under a dead tree where a group of Digieggs lay. Some were intact, others cracked, and others outright broken. Even where Rina knelt, her fingers trickled over a shard of Digiegg under the scorched earth._  
"This is too horrible." _Rina cried._ "Who could do such a thing?"

_As if inviting trouble to her doorstep, the surrounding area suddenly got hot, Rina looking up to find herself and Floramon surrounded by small fireballs with creepy faces._  
"DemiMeramon!" _she said as her Digivice scanned the six or seven fireballs._  
"Elecmon! Get them!" _commanded Fumiko._  
"You too, Agumon!" _followed Takumi._  
"And you, Kamemon!" _Shoji called._  
"Floramon! Don't get left behind." _Rina cried._

_The rookies all leapt into battle, but no matter how hard they tried, none of them could land a scratch of the DemiMeramon. They weren't even attacking back, but rather they were just being a nuisance for the group.  
Fumiko tried attacking one of them herself, but it was also too quick. She tried guiding one into Elecmon's attack path, but the DemiMeramon moved and Fumiko was almost caught by the Super Thunder Strike, only to be pulled out of harm's way by Takumi at the last moment._  
"You need to judge these spur of the moment things a bit better, Fumiko."  
"Yes, quite. I give you my apologies, Takumi. And also my thanks."  
"Don't worry about it." _the red-eyed boy said with a smile. The green-eyed girl returning the smile with a nod. _  
"As you wish." _she said, her and Takumi picking themselves up just in time to see Agumon hit one of the DemiMeramon with a Pepper Breath attack. The attack did nothing though, and the DemiMeramon chuckled. It was then that Rina noticed._  
"Takumi, look! They're wearing our Partners out. Rina was right, this was a trap."

"Too little too late!" _boomed a voice as standing in the village entrance way was a large red and fiery Digimon._  
"Meramon!" _called Takumi._

Meramon. Champion Level.  
Main Attack: Roaring Fire.

"So, YOU are the one that burnt down this village?" _Takumi asked, getting nothing more than a 'Heh!' in response from Meramon who raised both of his arms._  
"**ROARING FIRE!**" _Meramon called, fireballs launching from his fists toward Takumi and Fumiko. This time it was Fumiko's turn to save Takumi at the last moment as she pushed them both down onto the scorched soil. The two looked at one another, their faces turning red for a moment, only for Fumiko to be pulled off Takumi by Shoji who extended a hand to the goggleboy, pulling him up._  
"You two can make gooey eyes later. We have a Dark General to stop." _Shoji said, Takumi nodded and Kamemon and Agumon came to their Partner's sides._  
"Ready!" _Takumi called, the Digivices lighting up._

"Agumon!"  
"Kamemon!"  
"Digivolve!" _they both called, pressing the two side buttons of the Digivice._

**AGUMON DIGIVOLVE TO….  
KAMEMON DIGIVOLVE TO….**

TYRANNOMON!  
GAWAPPAMON!

"If Tyrannomon could put down MadLeomon…" _Shoji said._  
"And Gawappamon could take out Greymon…" _replied Takumi._  
"Then, together…"  
"Together, this should be a piece of cake! Go, Tyrannomon!"  
"You too, Gawappamon!"

"**BLAZE BLAST!**" _roared Tyrannomon._  
"**DJ SHOOTER!**" _called Gawappamon, the two Digimon taking Meramon head on, but Meramon had erected a blazing fence around himself._  
"Oh. We weren't making 'gooey eyes', just so you know." _Takumi scoffed._  
"Sure you weren't. You didn't exactly dispute 'Takumiko' earlier." _Shoji teased._  
"I had no idea what you meant, and by the time I'd figured it out, it made no sense bringing it back up."  
"Uh-huh. Keep telling yourself that."

"**GAWAPPA PUNCH!**" _Gawappamon tried to get through the fence, but the blazing temperature just ended up burning Gawappamon._  
"**WILD BUSTER!**" _Tyrannomon tried, ramming the barrier, but the heat was too much._

_Fumiko meanwhile had gathered herself and Rina while Elecmon and Floramon attacked the DemiMeramon._  
"Where the hell are Yusuke and Koemon?" _Fumiko spat._ "Typical! Typical of those two! Never around when you need them."  
"Um, Fumiko-chan. You were the one that kicked him… y'know… there." _Rina piped up, a wave of guilt running over Fumiko as Rina pointed out her mistake. _  
"Sh-shut up! He deserved that for bullying you!" _Fumiko retorted._ "I mean, what was I supposed to do? Just let him—"  
"Fumi-chan!" _Rina called, her eyes bugging out as something caught her eye._ "Fumi-chan!"  
"What, Rina?" _Fumiko asked as Elecmon was getting more and more tired trying to chase after the DemiMeramon. Floramon also was getting exhausted._  
"There's a live flower! It somehow survived!" _Rina chimed, and in her excitement, she rushed toward it. Fumiko called for her to come back, but worked as a distraction. The DemiMeramon turned their attention to Rina, which allowed Floramon's Allergy Shower to finally take a hold of the DemiMeramon, the rain of pollen causing the Meramon to slow down and lose their mischivious fighting spirit, which Elecmon was all too happy about as it launched a Super Thunder Strike attack which eradicated three of them._  
"Awesome! We got them!" _Rina cheered, but before they could even think about going after the rest, Meramon's booming voice could be heard._

"**MAGMA BOMB!**" _it roared, rocks of magma raining down on both Tyrannomon and Gawappamon as Meramon lowered the firewall and attacked again._ "**FIRE WAVE!**" _it called, inflaming itself and charging recklessly at Gawappamon, hitting the Digimon with enough force to not only send it flying against the dead tree._  
"GAWAPPAMON!" _Takumi and Shoji called, Shoji rushing to his Partner's side._  
"I guess it's up to us, Tyrannomon!" _bellowed Takumi._ "Counter its Fire Wave with Wild Buster!"  
"**WILD BUSTER!**" _Tyrannomon roared, charging toward Meramon as it charged toward him._  
"Now! Dino Kick!" _Takumi called. He was too slow though. In the midst of his Wild Fire attack, Meramon had already launched his Roaring Fist. All of the attacks, punches and kicks fuelled by wild, reckless charging connected, sending both Tyrannomon and Meramon to the ground. Meramon had another plan however as he summoned the few DemiMeramon that Fumiko and Rina had yet to destroy._

"What now?!" _everyone asked at once, their eyes widening as Meramon absorbed the DemiMeramon and grew much larger than before._  
"I thought reducing this village to ashes was easy, but you humans have been a much easier conquest!" _Meramon gloated as Fumiko, Rina, Elecmon and Floramon composed themselves. With Tyrannomon and Gawappamon seemingly out of action, Meramon made his way t owards Fumiko and Rina. Elecmon and Floramon rushed out to defend their Partners._  
"**SUPER THUNDER STRIKE!**" _called Elecmon, the attack bouncing off of Meramon for the most part._  
"**ALLERGY SHOWER!**" _called Floramon. The Allergy Shower looked like it was taking effect on Meramon when suddenly it inflamed again, the inflammation countering the effects of Floramon's attack. _  
"**MAGMA BOMB!**" _it roared once more, rocks of magma falling from the sky, the tired Rookies doing their best to not get hit. But after how tired out they were from chasing the DemiMeramon, it was almost inevitable that they would get hit. _  
"ELECMON!"  
"FLORAMON!" _they called, dashing to their Partners, leaving the live flower unguarded. This proved to be a blessing however as one of Meramon's Magma Bombs landed right on it, the girls and their Digimon being thrown forward by the blast proximity._

"That… the flower…" _Rina sobbed looking back as the crater where the flower used to be._ "It could have been a sign of hope…"  
"Hope?" _questioned Meramon._ "You sentimental fool! You have no hope!"  
"This village. It might have been possible to rebuild… I had hope that your efforts had been for nothing, and this village could thrive again. Hope that you had not completely destroyed this soil.  
The Digimon here were to be loved, they were to be prosperous! But you! You and your other Generals left nothing but a Digimon Graveyard here! It's unacceptable!"  
"Unacceptable you say?" _questioned Meramon further._ "Only failure is unacceptable to my queen. She ordered the annihilation of this village, we Dark Generals gave her exactly what she wanted."  
_Rina glared at Meramon, which got a chuckle out of the Digimon._  
"Do you really believe you and your worthless plant can oppose me? I'll reduce it to ash just like the rest of this God forsaken place."  
"No! You won't hurt my friend! You hear me? You've done enough damage here, and it's time somebody put you in your place!" _Rina cried as she and Floramon got to their feet._

"Rina! What are you doing?" _Fumiko called to the pink haired girl._ "Run!"  
"No! I told you already, Fumi-chan! I promised to make Floramon the greatest Digimon ever. I wasn't able to help against MadLeomon. I couldn't make the jump back in the mines. I'm not going to be useless here!"  
"But you're not useful to anyone if you die here, Rina!" _Fumiko called._ "Not even Tyrannomon and Gawappamon could stop him!"  
"Then, it's time for a late blooming miracle, right, Floramon!" _Rina asked with a weak smile._  
"Right, Rina! This is the DPFC, and your opponent is Meramon! Show 'em what you've got!"

_At that, a golden ring appeared around the Digivice on Rina's left arm and around Floramon's right arm. _  
"No way! That ring!" _Fumiko said lowly._ "It can only mean."  
"Do it, Rina!" _called Takumi, the girl and her Partner nodding as they crossed the rings on their arms._  
"Digivolve! Floramon!" _Rina called as Floramon was surrounded in a bright light._

**FLORAMON DIGIVOLVE TO…**

_A shining pillar surrounded Floramon and when it had disappeared, a wingless bird Digimon was standing in her place. It had long grey legs with sharp, purple nails, its main body was brown and it wore a bone helm that covered not just its head but also its long beak. Shaggy green hair that looked like leaves stuck out from under the helm. Its eyes, that looked as sharp as the Digimon's nails, were green._

**KIWIMON!**

"Kiwimon!?" _asked everyone as the wingless bird Digimon stared a hole through Meramon before rushing him._  
"**HIGH JUMPING KICK!**" _it cried, leaping into the air and extending a leg, kicking Meramon backward with great force. _  
"**WILD BUSTER!**" _roared Tyrannomon, charging at Meramon, only for Meramon to grab a hold of Tyrannomon now that he was the size of it and hit it with a concentrated Magma Blast which knocked Tyrannomon into Gawappamon and reduced them both to Rookie form._  
"Don't let him get the upper hand, Kiwimon!" _called Rina, Kiwimon jumping and launching itself at Meramon._  
"**NOSE MATTOCK!**" _she calls, it's long nose and bone helm puncturing Meramon as Kiwimon soars right through the enemy Digimon._  
"Not bad for a Digimon that can't fly." _Elecmon says in wonderment. _  
"Now! Finish this, Kiwimon! Avenge the Flower Garden Village!" _Rina commanded, Kiwimon turning and immediately launching something at Meramon._  
"**PUMMELL PECK!**" _it called loudly, a barrage of ChibiKiwimon launching from Kiwimon's mouth and ramming Meramon, exploding on contact with him. The explosion sending Meramon soaring into the sky, the group watching a Meramon's data disintegrated above them._  
"We… we did it!" _exclaims Rina with a sigh of relief and an excited tone as she slumped to her knees, exhausted._

_Kiwimon charged toward Rina, de-Digivolving back to Floramon as she landed in her Partner's lap, the two of them hugging tightly. Looking up, Rina is surrounded by the rest of the group._  
"Jolly good show, old girl." _Shoji said as Kamemon bowed in thanks._  
"Yeah, you absolutely rocked it out there!" Takumi followed.  
"Who knew you had it in you, Floramon?" _asked Agumon happily._  
"You did brilliantly, Rina." _Fumiko commended._ "Congratulations."  
"Thank you, everyone!" _Rina said happily as she and Floramon stood up._ "It's just a shame that we couldn't go anything to save this village."  
"I don't know about that." _Elecmon said._ "You noted earlier that that flower was a sign of hope that this soil could grow again. If that's true, then we may just need to wait for the village to show signs of life again down the road."  
_Rina nodded happily and the group began to leave the village, only to find Yusuke and Koemon unconscious outside of it._  
"Oh, there he was." _Fumiko said through grit teeth._  
"Maybe Meramon got to him before_?" wondered Takumi as he slapped Yusuke's face gently, rousing the taller teen._ "Oi, wake up. We're done here!"  
"Done? What?" _asked Yusuke as he came out of his slumber._ "But what about?"  
"Meramon? Rina and Floramon took care of him**.**" _Takumi replied, this seemed to wake Yusuke up completely**.**_  
"WHAAAAT! Pinky here beat that Meramon? Impossible!"  
"Nope. It was a pretty explosive affair too. Now, come on, get up, we need to get back to th-"

**BOOM!**

_In the distance, the group could see that there was an explosion back at the Minerva Village. They didn't need Takumi to tell them, they all moved without so much as breaking a sweat. Running as fast as they could, they crossed the Zone's green hills once more until they reached the village. What they saw there sent chills down their spines. A sinister looking red portal at the back of the village was decorated almost by a line of stone Digimon on either side of them. Not just any Digimon however; these Digimon were ones the group knew all too well: Nohemon, Knightmon, Ignitemon, Wizardmon, Witchmon, Prairiemon and others._

"Who did this?!" _roared Takumi as he stared down the portal. It was left open on purpose, daring the group to come through._

**END!**


	5. Rock of Aegis

"Who did this?" _roared Takumi as he stared into the portal that was open in front of them. The way the stone Digimon were lined up, it was almost like a royal walkway which could only mean that that portal was left open intentionally. Whoever did this wanted the group to follow them through._

"You know it's a trap, right?" _Shoji said, placing a hand on Takumi's shoulder, the red-eyed boy shrugging the blonde's hand off of him as he pulled his hoodie tighter onto him._  
"I'm aware, thanks." _Takumi grunted as he looked to Agumon. The yellow dinosaur Digimon raised a claw, clenching it into the shape of a fist before pulling on the strap; he was ready to follow Takumi into the fray._  
"Takumi…" _Fumiko spoke up._ "Do you have a plan? Or are we expected to just waltz in blindly?"  
_The brown haired boy sighed, adjusting his goggles as he turned to face the group._  
"I don't think it matters." _is all Takumi could reply as his red eyes met Fumiko's green eyes._ "We could come up with the greatest plan ever, but whoever is responsible for this could just be waiting to ambush us as soon as we come through."  
"I don't think so." _Yusuke spoke, everyone turning their gaze to him._  
"Oh? And why not?" _Fumiko asked._  
"All of this. It's too elaborate. Too staged. Whoever set this up wants to toy with us. So, what fun would it be if they just riddled us with bullets before we could react?"  
_Takumi's eyes narrowed. That was too sound a piece of logic, even for Yusuke. Could he know something the rest didn't? He wasn't anywhere near the battle with Meramon earlier after all. The boy shook his head, wanting to slap himself. This was all getting to be too much. What started as a simple game had now taken a turn for the worst in just two nights._  
"Maybe." _Takumi replied, looking to Rina and Floramon or Shoji and Kamemon for their thoughts. Kamemon remained silent, while Shoji looked, not bored but put off by it all._

"So, um, are we just going to, y'know, go through then?" _Rina asked, fumbling with her turtleneck out of anxiousness._  
"If nobody has a better idea, then I guess so, yeah." _Takumi replied. His heart sank. This had visibly exhausted everyone, so much so that even the Digimon were remaining quiet, that is until Agumon's stomach grumbled loudly. Everyone turned and faced him, the dino getting flushed in the face as he covered his stomach with his arms as if hiding his shame. A moment passed before Floramon let out a giggle, followed by Rina, then Elecmon and Fumiko. Soon, the group was laughing lightly. Takumi facepalmed, dragging his hand from his face slowly._  
"All right, all right." _Takumi started._ "That portal isn't going anywhere. Stock up on food and supplies. We're heading out!"  
"Right!" _the group, minus Yusuke responded as they all went their separate ways back into the village. As they did, Takumi heard footsteps behind him, several of them. He turned, waiting to face a new threat, but instead found three very familiar Digimon: LoaderLiomon, Dorulumon and Digmon._

"Oh! The Digimon from the Digizoid Mine!" _Agumon said._ "What brings you here?"  
"We heard the explosion from the mines." _Dorulumon replied._ "Tell us, what happened here, Digidestined."

_Takumi paused before slowly explaining that last night a Deramon had escaped from the Flower Garden Village but died here before it could be taken into refuge. He further explained that the group had only just gotten back from that village after defeating the last of the Dark Generals, Meramon and seeing the very same explosion that had brought the trio of drilling Digimon to them._

"I see." _spoke LoaderLiomon lowly._ "So, you have no idea of whom or what caused this travesty either then?" _Takumi shook his head._  
"No. We were just stocking up before we headed through that portal to find out if we would be led to the culprit, or…"  
"Or potentially locked out of this Zone and giving the culprit free reign over it." _Digmon said as he finished what Takumi was going to say._  
"That's right." _Agumon spoke._ "We really have no idea whether what we're doing is good or bad at this point. But it's the only clue we have."  
"Very well then." _LoaderLiomon replied._ "If that is the case, then I offer our services to you and your comrades, Takumi Akama."  
"Huh?!" _Takumi and Agumon replied._ "You want to come with us? Is that what you're saying?"  
"Indeed. With these Digimon having been petrified, and the other villages destroyed, that means my comrades and I are the last Digimon alive in this Zone. And if this Zone locks you Digidestined out, then, I shudder to think what fate might befall us."  
"So, by offering your services to us, you're also saving your own code, huh?" _Agumon mused._  
"Agumon, shush!" _Takumi scolded, LoaderLiomon shaking his head._  
"No, no, the youngster has a point. It would be wrong to say that there isn't a slight act of cowardice in this request of ours. We've been burrowing through rock for so long that, the idea of becoming rock isn't greatly appealing."

"Sound fine with me." _came Shoji's voice as the group re-joined Takumi and Agumon._ "The more power on our side, the easier it should be to take out these Dark Generals, right?"  
"And besides." _chimed in Rina._ "After all we've been through, it's not like we can just turn our backs on these Digimon when they need our help."  
"Whatever." _Yusuke muttered, he and Koemon rolling their eyes as Fumiko looked to the drill trio._  
"It would be an honour to have them fight by our side." _she said, glancing to Takumi._  
"Guys. Guys." _Takumi started._ "I never said that they couldn't come along. I'm just wondering where they'd stay. We know our own Partners go back into the Digivices when we go through a portal, but can the same be said about them? Sanzomon never got to go over the technical data of the Digivices when she gave them to us after all."  
"Won't know til we try, I guess." _Agumon answered, Takumi nodding as he called his Partner back and then looked to LoaderLiomon._  
"I hope this works. LoaderLiomon, Digitize!" _he pointed the Digivice at LoaderLiomon, a red aura surrounding the Digimon before he was pulled into it just as Agumon had been._  
"Well then, I guess we now know that the Digivice can hold multiple Digimon." _Rina said as she excitedly pointed her own Digivice at Dorulumon._ "Dorulumon, Digitize!" _she called, a pink aura surrounding the drill wolf Digimon before pulling him in._  
"That just leaves you, Digmon." _Takumi spoke._ "Any preference on who you want to travel with?" _he asked, Digmon looking to Yusuke of all people. Takumi let out a 'hmph!'_  
"I guess they hit it off back in the mines." _Takumi mused as Yusuke called for Digimon to Digitize and a yellow aura surrounded the drill bug Digimon and pulled him into the Digivice. Koemon's expression was less than welcoming and that got a laugh out of Floramon._

"Aww! Is somebody jealous?" _she teased, Koemon glaring at her._  
"All right, Floramon. Come back into the Digivice too." _Rina said as Floramon went back inside without delay. Rina looked at the Digivice._ "You better make our guest feel welcome, Floramon!"  
"Well then, are we ready?" _Takumi asked, taking a step toward the portal before his own stomach grumbled._ "I guess not."  
"You never gathered any supplies because of the newcomers, did you Takumi?" _asked Fumiko, the brown-haired boy shaking his head lightly._  
"Slipped my mind." _Takumi answered._  
"There's still some over there, now hurry up." _Fumiko told him.  
A few moments later, they were ready, standing in front of the swirling red portal._  
"Ready you guys?" _Takumi called._ "We don't know what happens from here on out, but for the sake of the Digital World, we have to do this. For the sake of the friends we've made here."  
"Yeah, yeah. Let's just get on with it already_." scoffed Yusuke, Takumi shaking his head and leaping through. Fumiko followed, then Shoji, then Rina and eventually Yusuke who contemplated leaving Digmon behind before jumping through._ "Not worth the hassle." _he muttered._

On the other side, Takumi found himself on a rocky terrain. The portal hadn't spat him out like the previous one had, so the boy found himself landing on his feet and not his head.  
"Gracious, entrapper." _he muttered, looking back to see the others follow after him. Looking ahead, again it was a rocky terrain with large jagged boulders spaced out across it and leading toward a singular mountain. A top the mountain, the group could see a building, but it was that far away no one among them could make out what it was._

"Ugh, really?!" _spoke up Rina with a whine to break the silence._ "Climbing?! Nobody said anything about climbing a mountain!"  
"Now now…" _answered Takumi as he looked all around them to see the portal close up behind them._ "There's nothing to say we HAVE to go there."  
"But there's nothing else around here except… are those Digimon?"  
"Huh?" _everyone spun on heel to see a large group of Digimon charging their way. Takumi held out the Digivice which recognised them as Gazimon. The look in their eyes was vicious, their teeth and claws sharp. They were on the hunt and the Digidestined had just become the horde's prey._

"AGUMON!" "KAMEMON!" "ELECMON!" "FLORAMON!" "KOEMON!"  
"RE: DIGITIZE!"

_The Rookie Digimon sprung to action almost immediately, fending off the onslaught._

"**PEPPER BREATH!**" "**'MET TACKLE!**" "**SUPER THUNDER STRIKE!**" "**ALLERGY SHOWER!**" "**BABY SLING!**"

_The Rookie Digimon fought hard against the Gazimon, who fought back just as tough with their claws and teeth, fighting viciously before one caught Koemon with its Paralyse Breath attack, breathing a poisonous, gaseous breath onto their opponents, which caused the Digidestined Partner Digimon to reel back as they tried to escape the attack._

"Ugh! This is no good!" _Takumi called._ "There are too many of them! We need some more fire power!"  
"But, the Digimon are too hurt to evolve. They need to heal up in the Digivice!" _Shoji called in response._  
"Then what are we going t—Wait, I have it! It feel a bit cruel setting an Ultimate on a bunch of Rookies, but experience has taught us that if a legion attacks, then a commander or Dark General can't be too far away. LOADERLIOMON! RE:DIGITIZE!"

_LoaderLiomon burst out from the Digivice, and at the same time, Agumon returned to it. Takumi looked at the battlefield as LoaderLiomon immediately went on the attack._  
"Agumon. Did you call yourself back?"  
"No, Takumi. The Digivice pulled me back in when you summoned LoaderLiomon." _the dino answered from within the Digivice._  
"Then that means only one Digimon can be active at a time?" _Takumi wondered._  
"That must be one of the new rules." _Yusuke called as Koemon used it's Mischievous Hoop attack to trip a bunch of Gazimon._  
"New rules? You STILL think this is all a game, Yusuke?" _Fumiko yelled._  
"Don't tell me you think all of this is real, Karate babe." _Yusuke responded._ "By any stretch of the imagination, this is all the work of those pods. I bet those "Dark Generals" are just a convenient excuse for us to battle against other combatants. I mean, who's to say that our Digimon don't register to them as opponents, or "Dark Generals", huh?"  
"I can't believe you!" _Fumiko fumed._ "After everything we've witnessed. That certainly explains why you've been so useless since we got here! You don't believe in the severity of any of this!"  
"Not my fault if you let your imagination get the better of you, sweetheart." _Yusuke responded with a chuckle. He was about to call back Koemon and replace him with Digmon, but during all the bickering, LoaderLiomon had finished the job._

"Thanks a lot, LoaderLiomon!" _Takumi said before holding the Digivice out._ "Agumon! Re:Digitize!" _he called, both Digimon swapping places. Agumon looked good as new when he came out from the device._  
"So, now wh—" _Agumon couldn't even finish his sentence before Shoji stepped forward._  
"Hold on! I can hear something. I'm not entirely sure what, but it sounds like a crying Digimon."  
"What? Where?" _Fumiko asked as the others put their Digimon back in the Digivices to heal up from Gazimon's Paralyze Breath attack._  
"This way!" _Shoji responded, taking off with a sprint, the others and Agumon running behind him._  
"I don't get it, Shoji." _Takumi said._ "I can't hear a thing."  
"I can't quite explain it myself, but it's a Digimon I'm hearing, I just know it is."  
"All right then. Lead the way!"

_Momentarily, the group pulled to a stop. Shoji was right. Among the terrain, there was a yellow and white Digimon with large wing like ears battered and wedged between two large rocks.  
Shoji rushed forward, trying to pull the Digimon free. When he couldn't, Agumon leapt forward and punched on of the rocks, causing it to shatter and crumble, allowing Shoji to grasp the Digimon.  
'Patamon, Rookie Digimon. Mammal type. Main attack: Boom Bubble.' read Takumi's Digivice as Shoji tried to rouse the unconscious Digimon._  
"Hey, Patamon! Wake up!" _Shoji called, the Patamon's eyes opening slowly. When he realised that he was being cradled by a human however, his eyes bugged and he leapt from Shoji's arms. He tried flying away, but his ears, which were also its wings were too damaged._  
"Take it easy, little guy." _Shoji said._ "We're trying to help you."  
"Help?!" _asked Patamon, fear and upset in its voice._ "It's because of a human that I'm like this!" _it yelled, trying once again to fly and once again collapsing to the ground with a thud._  
"A human?" _asked Takumi._ "That can't be right. We're the only humans here."  
"Yeah, and up until a while ago, they were all back in the Grass Zone." Continued Agumon, earning a glare from Patamon.  
"Well of course a Digimon who partnered with a human would say that." _it responded, its voice weaker than before._ "I know what I saw. I won't have humans call me a liar!"  
_As Patamon tried to fly again, its data flashed. It was dying. Human or not, whatever attacked him had really done a number on him as Takumi's mind flashed back to Deramon._  
"No, not again…" _he muttered._  
"Patamon, you're dying, aren't you?" _Fumiko asked._ "Why don't you rest in my Digivice until you feel better?"  
"Are you joking?" _Patamon yelled meakly._ "Why should I trust you after a human put me in this position?"  
_Fumiko had no answer. If this Patamon was truly adamant that a human had done this to him, then who was she to question him? Regardless, she scooped Patamon up and decided to take care of him. Patamon attempted to break free, but just didn't have the energy as he settled against the green-haired girl._

"See?" _Yusuke said with a smirk._ "We couldn't have been the only humans here. Someone else obviously took that Patamon as fair game and att-"  
"NOT NOW!" _everyone else yelled at him, Takumi looking to the mountain top._  
"Rina, I'm sorry, but we're scaling that mountain. We might just find a clue about what's going on up there."  
"Damnit, Takumi." _Rina muttered as the group headed toward the summit._

After a while, the group found themselves on a winding path. It wasn't so much of a climb then as it was a trek up a ridiculously long flight of rocky steps that Takumi couldn't tell if they were carved into the mountain or just there naturally. Needless to say, it made him more curious to know what was on the top of the mountain.   
"Patamon?" _Takumi questioned._ "I know this might be asking a lot, but, could you by any chance tell us about the Dark Generals of this Zone?"  
"Centarumon…" _Patamon muttered as it looked to be drifting in and out of consciousness._ "…Pegasusmon… … … …." Patamon drifted off, his data flashing more erratically.  
"Centarumon and Pegasusmon, huh?" _Shoji mused._  
"That's only two though… Who might the third one be?" _Fumiko wondered._  
"How about we worry about that at the top, huh?" _Takumi cut in._ "Whatever kind of building is up there might be the closest thing we have to a village for this Zone."

"YOU WILL NOT MAKE IT TO THE TEMPLE!" _boomed a voice._ "**STAR SHOWER!**"  
"Ugh, right on cue!" _Takumi groaned as the attack narrowly missed the group. Looking up, a flying horse Digimon in golden armour with a massive wingspan._ "Pegasusmon, I take it!"  
"Filthy, humans!" _it boomed._ "In the name of our King, Apollomon, I shall be the one to wipe you from the Digital World!"  
"Right, like we haven't heard that one a few times since we got here!" _Takumi called back._ "And just who is this Apollomon, then? Another of the Dark Generals?"  
"What nonsense! Apollomon is the one who reigns supreme over this Zone. We Generals are his willing servants!"  
"Well then, seems we have a fight on our hands. Let's go guys!" _Takumi ordered, the group calling their Partners back from their Digivices._

"Koemon! BABY SLING!" _Yusuke called, the monkey Digimon launching one hundred Pachinko balls at Pegasusmon._  
"**SUPER THUNDER STRIKE!**" _called Elecmon, Pegasusmon flying out of harm's way with ease._  
"Ugh, Shoji, Rina! Let's kick it up a not—"  
"No! Takumi. Not you." _Shoji said, cutting him off._  
"What do you mean 'No'? We all need to work together here!"  
"I'm aware of that, but look!" _Shoji responded, pointing at the path._ "It's too narrow here for Tyrannomon. You need to try and get to higher ground first. Go, Rina and I will take care of things here."  
_Looking at the path, Takumi sighed, but agreed, heading to higher ground. Yusuke and Fumiko tried to follow, but Pegasusmon had other ideas._  
"**SILVER BLAZE!**" _it called, a beam flashing from its forehead, attacking the ground at Yusuke's feet causing him and Koemon to slip from the path and down the mountainside._  
"YUSUKE!" _Takumi called as he and Agumon, followed by Fumiko and Elecmon made for higher ground. Shoji's idea was worth it, the path got somewhat wider as they ascended._  
"Ready, Rina?" _Shoji asked as he held out his Digivice._  
"Ready!" _she replied._ "Let's go!"  
"KAMEMON!" FLORAMON!"  
"DIGIVOLVE!" _they called, pressing the A and C buttons on the Digivice._

**KAMEMON DIGIVOLVE TO….  
FLORAMON DIGIVOLVE TO….**

_In an instant, the two Rookies were replaced by two Champion level Digimon._

**GAWAPPAMON!  
KIWIMON!**

_No sooner than they had Digivolved did they attack._

"**DJ SHOOTER!**" _called Gawappamon, attacking Pegasusmon with its razor sharp CDs._  
"**PUMMELL PECK!**" _Kiwimon called, the ChibiKiwimon launching from its mouth._

"Time for the Silver Blaze to meet the Blaze Blast!" _said Takumi with a grin as he held out his left arm, bending it to bring the Digivice towards him._ "Agumon! Go!"

_Takumi pressed down on the A and C buttons on the Digivice and just like Kamemon and Floramon before him._

**AGUMON DIGIVOLVE TO….**

TYRANNOMON!

"**BLAZE BLAST!**" _Tyrannomon roared, catching Pegasusmon as it narrowly avoided Gawappamon's DJ Shooter. The fact it had been caught angered the Pegasusmon enough that it took its attention away from Shoji and Rina._  
"**SUPER THUNDER STRIKE!**" _called Elecmon, its attack attempting to counter Pegasusmon's incoming Silver Blaze attack. At the same time, both Gawappamon's DJ Shooter and Kiwimon's Pummel Peck had landed hits on Pegasusmon, clipping its wings slightly, which threw the Silver Blaze off course; it struck Fumiko, causing her to drop Patamon at the worst possible time. The ground beneath them had become unsteady under the weight of Tyrannomon, and in the mix of Tyrannomon affecting the terrain and Pegasusmon's off kilter attack, Patamon had gone soaring off the side._  
"Patamon! Fumiko!" _Takumi called._  
"Save him! Somebody save him!" _Fumiko cried as Elecmon rushed to her side._ "Don't let him die, Takumi."  
"Elecmon! You take care of her! Tyrannomon! Come back!"

_As Takumi called Tyrannomon back into the Digivice, he jumped, diving off the side of the mountain._  
"TAKUMI!" _called Shoji and Rina as the red-eyed boy plummeted past them, reaching out to grab Patamon._

"All I wanted… was to prove that I'm capable…" muttered Fumiko as Elecmon tried to pull her to her feet.  
"Capable?" _asked Elecmon._ "Whatever do you mean? You did your best to look after Patamon."  
"The day I became a Tamer." _Fumiko said slowly._ "The young boy I mentioned before. The one who inspired me… it was Takumi."  
"What? You mean you knew him before all of this?"  
"No, not quite." _Fumiko replied as Pegasusmon was making short work of Gawappamon and Kiwimon._ "As I said, he was showing some other people the ins and outs of how to use the V-Twins. He was so vibrant about it, so passionate. I got swept up in it and bought my own. My grandfather though, he was never very supportive. He thought it was nothing more than a distraction. Admittedly, I did rush to feed and clean up after you a few times during my studies, but I learned to manage it all. I'd hoped to find him one day, to show him how strong I'd gotten as a Tamer."  
"And I'm sure he knows." _Elecmon replied, Fumiko shaking her head._  
"He doesn't even know I was there. And Grandfather's gotten even more strict over the years. We couldn't help Shoji against Greymon. Meramon almost rendered us useless. And now poor Patamon – I've just sent Takumi flying to his maker…  
I'm not a capable Tamer at all… Digidestined… There must be some mist—"

**SLAP!**

"Now you give that over right now!" _Elecmon growled._ "We've been together through so much ever since you first hatched me. My data remembers every win, every loss, every feed. I don't know about your grandfather, or even if Takumi really was the one who inspired you to become a Tamer, but I am happy to have known you and to me you are the most capable Tamer! And right now, your friends need you to help stop that Pegasusmon!"

_Fumiko's eyes widened at Elecmon's words._

"Really, Elecmon? I haven't let you down." _she asked, her eyes tearing up. Elecmon simply shook his head._  
"You won't let me down unless you don't stand up and fight_!" the Digimon answered as Fumiko slowly pulled herself up._  
"You're right. Our friends need our help!" _she said, wiping her eyes._ "Let's show Pegasusmon just how strong we are!"  
"Together!" _piped up Elecmon as a gold ring appeared around Fumiko's left arm._  
"The light of Digivolution?!" _Fumiko questioned._ "Could that really be what this is?" _she asked, looking to see that the ring had wrapped around Elecmon's right arm._  
"It seems it's our turn, Fumiko. How about we get caught up in the moment together for a change, huh?" _Elecmon said with a smile, leaping into his Partner's arms, the two staring at each other intently._  
"Right! Let's do this, Elecmon! DIGIVOLVE!"

_Fumiko's glowing left wrist crossed with Elecmon's glowing right arm and the light of surrounded Elecmon who leapt from Fumiko and back onto the ground._

"Hey! Pegasusmon! We're not done yet!" _Fumiko called as a pillar of light fell on Elecmon._

**ELECMON DIGIVOLVE TO…**

_Through the light, Elecmon stood up on his hind legs as his form grew taller and more human like.  
The mammal Digimon's feet became more hooved while its legs bent slightly, the fur getting heavier before being covered in armour.  
Elecmon's arms thinned out and he grew hands with five fingers that were covered with gloves. Elecmon's head became more human like, the Digimon even gaining a neck as his torso took on a short leather vest. Three horns grew out of his head; one on each side and one shorter one pointing from the middle._

As the light of Digivolution faded, the new Digimon was seen to have white hair and yellow eyes. It wore red bands on its arms and red flowing wraps around its hooved feet. A red scarf was wrapped around its neck and red tattoos or body markings were visible under its left eye, on its chest and on the forearms.

**AEGIOMON!**

_Pegasusmon reeled back as the new Champion level stood with fists clenched, ready to oppose him._

"**STAR SHOWER!**" _it called, but the half goat, half boy Digimon grabbed Fumiko and leapt into the air, veering through the shower and throwing Fumiko past Pegasusmon._  
"**ATTRACT ECHO!**" _called Aegiomon as it brought the Star Shower back to itself and turned it on Pegasusmon. The returned Star Shower turned Pegasusmon around just in time for the Dark General to see Fumiko coming his way, she extended her leg and kicked Pegasusmon right in the face, sending him right back to Aegiomon who had his fists ready, pummeling the General before grabbing his Partner again and dropping her back with Shoji and Rina._  
"What nonsense is this?" _Pegasusmon asked before attacking again._ "**SILVER BLAZE!**"  
"**ATTRACT ECHO!**" _Aegiomon called as Pegasusmon fired the beam from his head, and just like before, Aegiomon was able to not only take the attack, but throw it back at Pegasusmon with devastating force._  
"This isn't nonsense. This is the Digidestined defeating you! Apollomon, we'll be after him soon enough!" _spat Aegiomon as the goat boy Digimon attacked Pegasusmon one last time._  
"**ATTRACT ECHO!**" _he called._  
"But I haven't attacked you yet. How can you?" _Pegasusmon protested._  
"My attack creates an echo of the last one used against me. I wasn't throwing your attacks back at you. You were just too slow!"  
"Im-Impossible!" _Pegasusmon tried to get away but this time the Silver Blaze cut right through him._  
"MASTER APOLLOMON! FORGIVE ME!" _Pegasusmon cried as his data dissipated and floated into the sky, into nothingness. And as he fell backwards in exhaustion, Aegiomon de-Digivolved back to Elecmon._

"Elecmon!" _Fumiko cried as she rushed to her Partner's aid._ "You were incredible!"  
"No, Fumiko. We were. I couldn't have done any of that without your help and belief in me." _Elecmon replied. _  
"Well done, Digidestined." _came a new voice, Fumiko, Shoji and Rina turning to see another flying horse Digimon. This one was pure white and wore a visor over its face. It had long blonde hair, had a horn sticking out of its forehead and was carrying Takumi on its back._  
"TAKUMI!" _they all called out.  
_  
"Hey guys, this is Unimon. He helped me out at the last moment." _Takumi called back, his voice as cheerful as ever._  
"What about Patamon?" _Fumiko asked, Takumi showing her the injured Rookie Digimon._  
"He's hanging in there, but we need to get him to the temple."  
"That's right. Pegasusmon mentioned a temple." _Shoji recalled._ "All right, so we'll see you up there then?"  
"Right!" _Takumi replied as Unimon took him and Patamon to the top._

It didn't take too long for the four friends and their Partners to be reunited at the top of the mountain. The battle with Pegasusmon had been driving them further and further up before Elecmon evolved. What they found, or who they found waiting for them at the top of the mountain was the bigger shock. It was Yusuke, Koemon on his shoulder as usual, leaning against the temple wall.

"You guys are way too slow." _he called mockingly._ "Was Pegasusmon really that much trouble?"  
"Why you dirty, rotten miscreant!" _Shoji yelled._ "Have you been up here this whole time?"  
"Oh, pretty much. After the flying horse knocked me off, I swapped Koemon out for Digmon who happily drilled a path through the mountain and brought me right up here. Call it the express service if you like."

_The entire group was seething at this knowledge. Daggers and death glares all around aimed at Yusuke and Koemon. Unimon decided to cut the tension however. This wasn't his problem._

"Digidestined." _he began._ "I welcome you to the Holy Temple. This Temple is a place of worship in this Zone and one of a few throughout the Digital World. If you would come inside, I believe I can tell you more about the enemy you face, and help you heal that Patamon."  
"Wait, so you actually know what's going on?" _Takumi asked._  
"I know enough to help you through this Zone, but I my information may also help you fill in the gaps of the journey you've had thus far."  
"All right then, let's go!" _Takumi ordered, the group following as Fumiko took Patamon back._  
"Hear that, little guy? We're gonna get you fixed right up." _she said with a smile as they entered the Temple to learn more about where they've been and just where they're going._

**END**


	6. The Ends

_Stepping into the temple, the five humans and their Partners looked around almost in awe. 'How could a place like this exist in such a desolate area?' Takumi wondered as Unimon led Fumiko to an altar on which she could lay Patamon to allow the Digimon to rest.  
The walls and floor were a gleaming white with a single red path leading to the altar; it had a gold lining to make it look like a proper royal red carpet. Actually, it wasn't too far off where they had met Sanzomon. 'Do all temples look like this?' the brown haired boy wondered his eyes catching the various stained glass windows, each with its own unique designs and symbols. It was more like a shrine recounting past battles and struggles than anything.  
Once Patamon was settled, the humans and Digimon were gathered by Unimon._

"Digidestined and Digimon Partners." _Unimon began._ "You are most welcome. I have no doubt that you have many questions and worries, so permit me to impart what knowledge I have to you in the hopes that it will give you a clearer idea of your role in this world."  
"Yeah, please." _Takumi spoke up._ "All we know is that there are Dark Generals out there looking to destroy the Digital World, but, we have no idea who they're working for or why any of this is happening."  
"That about sums it up." _Shoji said with a sigh._ "Ever since we got here, it's been one struggle after the next and we're no closer to knowing if what we're doing is having any sort of effect on the grand scheme of things."  
"That's right." _Fumiko said as she looked to Patamon._ "We thought we were doing something worthwhile in the previous Zone, but…"  
"But we ended up losing the Minerva Village anyway!" _Rina cut in, everyone getting annoyed just thinking about it. Everyone but one, that is. Leaning against a column was Yusuke, whose expression was more a half-hearted eye roll than a beleaguered conscience. Unimon was about to address him when Takumi interrupted._

"Ignore him. He thinks this is all a game and refuses to take any of it seriously." _Takumi told Unimon. Unimon then looked to the interested four and cleared his throat._  
"Around you, embedded in the glass, you see the stories of those who have come before you.  
Every generation, it is said that a great evil will rise, and at that time humans of great potential will be summoned to the Digital World to purge the Great Evil. Your being here means that the Digital World can no longer bear the strain brought on by the Whisper of Darkness that travels on the wind."  
"The Whisper of Darkness?" _Takumi asked._ "Didn't Nohemon say something similar?" _Shoji nodded in response. _  
"Yeah, something like that, old boy. But he didn't put it in such a way that these whispers may be the enemy itself."  
"No. I don't suppose he would." _Unimon interrupted._ "The Whisper is a powerful virus capable of corrupting many powerful Digimon and using them to its own accord. It has no physical being, and that is why it must steal living Digimon. And from there, those corrupted Digimon grant wicked power unto what you would come to know as Dark Generals."

"Steal living Digimon?" _Fumiko wondered, her eyes widening as a light bulb went off in her mind._ "Takumi! What did Nohemon and the others say about Minervamon?"  
"That she had suddenly-" _he cut himself off as he realised what Fumiko was getting at._ "You don't think?!"  
"Minervamon has been taken over by the Whisper Virus!" _Shoji said aloud to drive the statement home, Rina gasping. _  
"So, we're going to have to face her at some point?" _the pink haired girl asked, twirling her hair nervously. _  
"Oh, that won't be good." _commented Agumon as he looked to the ground sheepishly._  
"Agreed." _replied Elecmon._ "Minervamon is a Mega level Digimon. We have no shot at beating her if it comes to that!"  
"M-Me-Mega Level?!" _Takumi spat._ "How are we meant to…?"  
"In time, Digidestined. In time." _Unimon cut in to bring the discussion back on track. "_What I can tell you is that by defeating the Generals, you will weaken the ruler of each Zone, so defeating Pegasusmon, while it is a huge loss for the Zone, it will help you achieve the greater good."  
"So, the ends justify the means, huh?" _Yusuke piped up._ "I can get behind that. It's supposed to be survival of the fittest in this tournament anyway, so if that's how it has to go, that's how it has to go."  
"You've only been 'surviving' because of our hard work!" _Rina growled, the electricity in the air almost visible as she and Floramon glared at Yusuke and Koemon and they glared back._  
"Hmph! Please. Like Koemon and I need you lot to bail us out. We made it up here before you lot, didn't we?"  
"Only because you left us to fend off Pegasusmon by ourselves! And if you're so great, why hasn't Koemon Digivolved yet?" _Floramon yelled, Koemon looked as if he was going to blow a gasket at that remark._

"Enough!" _roared Unimon._ "If you can't be civil, then leave!" _he bellowed, Rina and Floramon's backs straightening in shock, both of them slowly turning back to Unimon._  
"We'll be good." _They said in unison, keeping their heads down as Yusuke chuckled._  
"Whatever." _he muttered._ "I'd leave, but to tell the truth it's better for me to stay with this group of losers."  
_'Why? Because without us you'd be hopelessly lost?' Shoji wondered, his right eye twitching as Yusuke seemed to answer his question._  
"The longer I hang around, the easier it'll be to pick apart their weaknesses when the time comes."  
"You what?" _Takumi called._ "Do you really intend to turn on us?"  
"Listen, Gogglebrain." _Yusuke replied._ "Not once have I pledged my allegiance to this 'Save The World' endeavour. It's a fun little plot line created by the game. Nothing more. Nothing less. So, to answer your question; yes. Right now you serve a purpose, but once that has been served, I'm afraid Koemon and I will take you apart like an old machine."  
"Purpose?" _Takumi questioned. _  
"He means until he's figured out how to make Koemon Digivolve." _Shoji answered, Yusuke letting out another 'Hmph!'_  
"I'm not saying one way or the other."

"I always thought you were just a loud mouth braggart." _Fumiko growled._ "But now I see you're nothing more than a loud mouth coward!"  
"The ends justify the means, toots." _Yusuke responded without missing a beat._ "Anyone in this tournament with a brain knows you need to do anything you can to get ahead and win the prize."  
_Takumi's blood began to boil as Yusuke prattled on. 'Did none of this mean anything to Yusuke?' he wondered as his hand began to ball into a fist. A fist which Shoji noticed, and quickly leapt to stop Takumi from using on the taller teen._  
"Stop! You know he's not worth it." _Shoji whispered, placing a hand on Takumi's shoulder. The goggle head sighed. _  
"You're right. We need to find out more about this Whisper Virus." _he replied, looking to Unimon._  
"Unimon? Can you tell us more about the Virus, or the Digimon who become Whispered?"  
"There are Eight Zones here in the Digital World: Grass, Mountain, Ocean, Desert, Magma, Ice, Forest and Sky. Each Zone is, or at least was, ruled by a member of the Olympian Digimon: Minervamon, Mercurymon, Neptunemon, Marsmon, Apollomon, Dianamon, Bacchusmon and Venusmon."

"So, the Olympian for this Zone is Mercurymon?" _Takumi asked, earning a nod from Unimon._  
"That's correct. Mercurymon was a great and powerful protector who disappeared when the Virus began to sweep through this Zone."  
"Now doesn't that sound familiar?" _Fumiko said half-heartedly._  
"Yeah, Nohemon said the exact same thing about Minervamon." _Takumi answered, looking back to Unimon._ "How do you know so much, Unimon? By his own admission, Nohemon couldn't help us out too much, and yet, here you are basically spelling out the rest of the plot for us."  
"Ah, you see. There is a reason for that." _Unimon replied as he started to laugh his wings expanding as a black aura began to consume him._  
"Unimon?!" _Shoji called out before looking to Kamemon and the others._ "Everyone! Run!"  
_As the group tried to escape, a loud slam came from the other side of the temple. At the main doors stood another Digimon, a brown coloured half man half horse looking Digimon with purple armour plates all over its body and large silver gauntlets on its hands._  
"I'm guessing that's Centarumon!" _Takumi said with a gulp as the Digimon towered over the group. _  
"The Digivice says you're correct, old chap." _Shoji replied._

Centarumon.  
Champion Level.  
Attacks: Solar Ray. Jet Gallop. Heat Uppercut.

Unimon.  
Champion Level.  
Attacks: Horn Blaster. Aerial Gallop. Supersonic Wave.

"Takumi! What's the plan?" _Agumon asked as Unimon's laughing seemed to balance out Centarumon's quiet, stoic presence._  
"It's Fighting Time, obviously!" _Shoji cut in, readying his Digivice._  
"Count us in!" _Fumiko called, taking position with Elecmon._  
"We're not going to be left out, either!" _Rina chimed, though the fear in her voice was more than blatantly obvious. _  
"Let's do it, Rina! We've got this!" _Floramon responded, trying to instil some confidence in her Partner.  
_"R-right!" _she answered, looking on as Takumi stepped forward._  
"Well, you heard them, Agumon!" _the goggle head said as he punched his palm._ "Seems we've been lured into a trap with no other choice but to fight our way out. You ready?"  
"Born ready, Partner!" _Agumon responded, mimicking Takumi's palm punch._  
"All right then! Let's do this! AGUMON!"  
"KAMEMON!"  
"ELECMON!"  
"FLORAMON!"  
"DIGIVOLVE!" _they called, taking position and pressing the A and C buttons on their Digivices, and in an instant, Tyrannomon, Gawappamon, Aegiomon and Kiwimon were standing in place of the Rookie levels._  
"Two of them, four of us! Let's show this Mercurymon Whispered just what we're made of!" _Takumi called, adjusting his goggles._

Tyrannomon and Gwappamon took Centarumon head on, while Aegiomon and Kiwimon went after Unimon.

"**BLAZE BLAST!**" _Tyrannomon roared as Gawappamon set off a DJ Shooter attack. But Centarumon, despite his massive size was far too fast, easily dodging both attacks._  
"**JET GALLOP!**" _Centarumon called as he began running circles around the dinosaur and Kappa Digimon._

Meanwhile, Kiwimon and Aegiomon weren't faring any better.  
Kiwimon's Pummel Peck wasn't going anywhere, while Aegiomon's Attract Echo couldn't get a lock on Unimon to repel any of its attacks back at it.  
"**HORN BLASTER!**" _Unimon called, firing what looked like a block of ice or crystal at the duo before launching into the air._ "**AERIAL GALLOP!**" _it then called, mimicking Centarumon as it became much too fast for the Digimon to keep up with. _  
"**ATTRACT ECHO!**" _Aegiomon called, echoing Unimon's Horn Blaster only to miss and have the attack break a hole in the ceiling above them._

"**DJ SHOOTER!**" _Gwappamon called, launching its CD attack at Centarumon, but the Digimon was moving so fast, the CDs just seemed to soar by whatever vivid image of Centarumon they could catch at any moment._  
"**SOLAR RAY!**" _Centarumon called in a more commanding tone, a large ray of light enveloping Gwappamon and launching him against and through one of the temple's stained glass windows._  
"**SUPERSONIC WAVE!**" _called Unimon, the attack taking Kiwimon off her feet and sending her flying through another window._  
"Gwappamon! Kiwimon!" _Shoji and Rina called, rushing after their Partners, scrambling out the broken windows._  
"Hmph!" _Unimon scoffed._ "Is this all you can muster?"  
"We're nowhere near done yet!" _Takumi roared._ "Get 'em Tyrannomon!"  
"**DINO KICK!**" _Tyrannomon called with an ear splitting roar, but Centarumon easily countered._  
"**HEAT UPPERCUT!**" _it countered, its right arm igniting in flame and sending Tyrannomon soaring into the air. _  
"Tyrannomon!" _Takumi called as he watched his Partner hit the ceiling and collapse with a large thud, pieces of the structure falling on top of Tyrannomon as the Digimon tried to pick itself up.  
"_**JET GALLOP!**_" Centarumon called, trampling over Tyrannomon in a bid to keep it down._

Takumi froze as he watched his Partner get trampled on, but was broken out of his stupor by Fumiko's scream. Unimon was trampling over Aegiomon now in the same way Centarumon was trampling Tyrannomon.  
"What do we do?"_ Takumi asked no one in particular, when suddenly his Digivice lit up.  
_"Takumi! Have faith!"_ it was LoaderLiomon's voice. _"Switch me with Tyrannomon. Let him rest!"_  
_"Er, right!"_ Takumi responded as he held out the Digivice. _"LOADERLIOMON! RE: DIGI-"_  
_"**SOLAR RAY!**"_ Centarumon cut Takumi off by attacking him directly, the energy blast sending Takumi soaring past the altar and into the back wall of the Temple.  
_"TAKUMI!"_ roared Tyrannomon as he forced himself up, swinging his tail at Centarumon, only to have the centaur Digimon grab it and swing Tyrannomon at his human Partner. Takumi braced himself for the impact, but by some stroke of luck, Tyrannomon de-Digivolved in mid-air which meant that Takumi was only struck by Agumon._

Fumiko wasn't as lucky as Unimon bucked Aegiomon into the air with its hind legs and launched another Supersonic Wave at him as he dropped the wave driving Aegiomon into Fumiko and sent them both careening into and tumbling over the altar.  
The two Digimon stalked over their prey, ready to finish them off, when suddenly.  
"**DJ SHOOTER!**_"  
"_**PUMMELL PECK!**_"  
Shoji and Rina had made it back with their Partners, the attacks serving merely as distractions so that Shoji and Rina could tend to Takumi and Fumiko.  
Looking around, Shoji spied Yusuke and Koemon lying in wait, a look on Yusuke's face that Shoji didn't like. It actually made him feel sick.  
_"Well now." _Yusuke started._ "I think it's time we made our move. Don't you, Partner?"  
_Stepping out of the shadows, Yusuke first rushed Shoji, knocking him away from Takumi while Koemon launched his Pachinko attack at the injured Agumon._  
"Have you no honour, Yusuke?" _Rina called in disgust as she tried to get Fumiko back to her feet._  
"The ends justify the means, Pinkie. I'm in this tournament to win it, and if these two are going to back the competition that much easier for me, then I'll take that advantage."

"You can't be serious!" _Shoji scoffed while Gawappamon and Kiwimon found themselves similarly outmatch by the galloping duo of enemies._  
"Quite serious!" _Yusuke retorted._ "Now, if you don't mind, I have an annoying 'leader' to extinguish from this ridiculous rat race. KOEMON! DIGIVOLVE!"  
_Yusuke commanded, pressing down on the A and C buttons of the Digivice much like the others had done earlier._  
"Don't tell me you've…!"  
_The mood immediately changed, but not for the better. A glow surrounded Koemon, and as Shoji and Rina braced themselves for whatever Koemon might Digivolve into, instead, the gold band from before reappeared on Koemon's head, causing the red-head to go wide-eyed._  
"What?! This thing again!" _Yusuke yelled as he picked Koemon up and tried to force the thing off his Partner's head._ "Grr, what is this thing?!"

"I would say that that is a kinkoji." _Centarumon of all Digimon responded._ "Now, if you are done trying to steal our trophies, then you may join the others in Hell!"  
_Centarumon's right arm morphed into a blaster yet again, it charging up as it was aimed point blank at Yusuke, who weaved out of the way and made a run for the door, Koemon climbing up onto Yusuke's shoulders as it tried to pull the band off its head._

"I… I don't believe he did that." _Takumi said as he started to come around. _"I knew he was a bit rough around the edges, but, I didn't want to believe that he-"  
"It was rather amusing I thought." _Unimon responded as it rear kicked Kiwimon back at Rina, causing her to de-Digivolve back to Floramon._  
"Quite." _responded Centarumon as he blasted Gawappamon, reverting him to Kamemon.  
_"To see the human try so hard to turn on his comrades and fail so effortlessly. Even if Lord Mercury only takes pride in our offering, we will always have that memory to look back on and laugh."

_Outside the Temple and down the mountain, Yusuke and Koemon were fuming._  
"A kinkoji?" _roared Yusuke._ "What the hell is a kinkouji?"  
"It's a curse, obviously." _came an unfamiliar female voice._  
"A curse?" _Yusuke questioned, turning around to see another human. Then again, with Digimon like Sanzomon, Witchmon and Wizardmon, maybe it was just human-like.  
She was about 5'9 and dressed in a long white hooded jacket with black lightning around the ends and red lining on the inside that hung from her shoulders. The ends were tattered.  
Underneath, she wore a fitted black turtleneck with no sleeves, the turtleneck had a white lightning bolt along the right side. She wore black pants with a white belt that had red eyelets and was buckled with two pins.  
The pants were tucked into knee high black boots with white boot covers.  
On her head, she wore a cap with the visor over her eyes. Her red hair however flowed out from the ripped off top of the cap._  
"Who the hell are you?" _Yusuke asked._ "Some kind of banchou?"  
"That is one way of putting it." _she replied, her voice devoid of any emotion. _  
"You are Kiriyama Yusuke, correct? The one who claims to be the strongest of the Digidestined, despite your Partner not being able to Digivolve."  
_Yusuke flinched._

"How do you know who I am? Have you been stalking us?"  
"Stalking?" _the girl replied._ "No, no. Just keeping an observant eye on my fellow Digidestined. So far you all have not needed my help, but to see that you have abandoned your Nakama in their time of need. I am, disgusted."  
"You sure as hell don't sound disgusted!" _Yusuke retorted._ "You don't sound anything at all. You use terms like 'fellow' and 'nakama' but you're the one who sounds like they could care less."  
"And why should you care how I sound?" _the girl in the long coat asked._ "You just deserted the other four, did you not? Ran like a coward when the going got tough." _she continued, drawing Yusuke's ire._ "Hmm, this aura. You want to fight, don't you? Very well. Like you, I have many Digimon stored in my Digivice 01-X, but all of them are more than a match for you and your miserable Partner. So, why don't you choose, hm? Pick a number between one and five."

"FIVE?!" _questioned Yusuke._ "What have you been doing? Stealing the Partners of the opponents you've beaten in this tournament?"  
"Tournament?" _the girl asked back._ "So that's how it is, is it? You've deluded yourself into believing you're still in the Digital Pet Fight Circuit. How cute."  
_Yusuke's eye twitched. Having that monotone voice call him cute sent a shiver down his spine._  
"So you bought into it too, did you?" _Yusuke retorted._ "All right, let's go with number one; your main Partner. I'll wipe that condescending smirk off your face by taking your Partner apart."  
"Are you sure? Very well, and to make it fair, I won't even allow him to Digivolve while facing your Koemon."

"Don't get too cocky, Banchou! You're up, Koemon! Show her whose boss!"  
_The girl held out her arm, her Digivice looked no different to his, save for the fact that it was white in colour._ "Hackmon! Re:Digitize!" _she called, a stream of light bursting from the Digivice and taking form in front of Koemon. It was a black and white dinosaur Digimon with a tattered, flowing red cape around its neck. It was unlike Agumon though in that it stayed on all fours and had a long black horn extending from its snout. Parts of the Digimon looked almost mechanical._

"Hackmon?" _Yusuke wondered, holding out his Digivice to try and get a reading on it, but the Digivice gave back a No Data reading._  
"No Data? What the heck is that thing? Ugh, Koemon! **BABY SLING!**"

_On Yusuke's command, Koemon swiftly brought out its slingshot and began firing up to one hundred pachinko balls at Hackmon, the black and white Digimon seemingly overwhelmed by the assault as a large smirk appeared on Yusuke's face._  
"Haha, Banchou. All bark and no bi—" _Hackmon cut through the attack suddenly, launching itself at Koemon._  
"**FIFTH RUSH!**" _it roared, slashing Koemon and sending him flying back, the monkey Digimon letting out a rare cry of pain, but Hackmon's assault kept coming._  
"**TEEN RAM!**" _it called, drilling its tail into Koemon, the monkey's high pitched cries causing Yusuke's eyes to widen. Why? Why was he shaking? he wondered as he tried to get his bearings to help his Partner._  
"Koemon!" _Yusuke called._ "**MISCHEVIOUS HOOP!**"  
_It was a struggle but, Koemon managed to grab hold of his slingshot and wrap it around Hackmon in an attempt to trip the Digimon up, but the girl's Digimon simply spun in a circle and its drill like tail destroyed the slingshot before resuming its attack on Koemon._  
"Hackmon! Finish it!"

_The Digimon's screams became too much and as Hackmon turned to face the beyond injured Koemon, flames began to billow in its mouth._  
"NO!" _Yusuke called._ "Koemon! Return!" _the orange haired teen called, pulling Koemon back into the Digivice.  
_"Hmph! So you do care." _taunted the girl._ "But for someone who claims to be the strongest in your group, you sure gave in easy enough. The battles are much tougher when they're not based on luck and an LCD screen, aren't they?"  
"Go to hell!" _Yusuke roared._ "I concede this fight, but only because I'm not getting kicked out of this tournament over your hacked, unrecognisable, overpowered Digimon!"  
_Yusuke couldn't tell from the visor covering the girl's eyes, but she glared at him._  
"So, you still think this is all one big game, do you? Maybe you should feel the pain your Partner felt." _she stated, bringing the Digivice close to her, her fingers hovering over two familiar buttons._  
"Hackmon, Super Digivolve!"  
"What Digivolve?!" _Yusuke asked, but no sooner than he asked, a new Digimon towered over him.  
"No Data" called the Digivice as this Digimon rushed at Yusuke in a flash, punching him with mighty force, and just as quick as it had appeared, it had vanished, leaving Hackmon where it stood and Yusuke in a convulsing mess behind him._  
"What… was… that…?" _Yusuke spat as the girl called Hackmon back and stood over Yusuke, stomping on his chest. _  
"That was a taste of my power. Power that you cannot yet hope to meet if you continue on the path you're on now. If Koemon cannot even contend with, then how do you think you'll break the curse of the kinkoji, hm?" _she said, Yusuke looking up to see stern and powerful white eyes peering down at him._ "I didn't want to have to make myself known to you so early, but your actions, as I said, they disgust me."

"Wh-who… who are… you?" _Yusuke grunted as he tried to catch his breath, the girl continuing to peer down at him with her white eyes. _  
"You may have my name when you earn it." _she responded, taking her boot off Yusuke's chest and pulling him back to his feet by the collar of his leather jacket._  
_It was then that any hope of redemption Yusuke had seemed to be lost as a beam of light shot out of the Temple only for it to explode. But then, no sooner had Yusuke a genuine look of remorse on his face, a new voice came out from the banchou's Digivice._  
"We have them."  
"Just barely, but we do." _came another voice._  
"Well done, girls." _the white eyed girl replied._ "I'm just done with the deserter myself. Bring them to 'that place' and we'll regroup from there.  
"Yes ma'am!" _the two voices responded, the girl then looking to Yusuke._  
"You may just have a second chance yet." _she said as dryly as ever._ "Come along, Kiriyama. It's time I introduce myself to our nakama."

_Utterly defeated, Yusuke seemingly had no choice but to follow the red haired girl whom he disgusted. As they continued toward 'that place' they passed some stalks which the girl grabbed one of and then put to her mouth.  
'Just who was this girl?' Yusuke wondered. 'How did she know so much? Who was that Digimon? What on earth was Super Digivolving?' This girl had left him with nothing but questions, and better yet, he was now going to have to look everyone he tried to take out and then abandoned in the eye. The next few hours were going to be long and tortuous. Did the ends really justify the means after all?_

**End.**


	7. The Means

"I… I don't believe he did that." _Takumi said as he started to come around. _"I knew he was a bit rough around the edges, but, I didn't want to believe that he-"  
"It was rather amusing I thought." _Unimon responded as it rear kicked Kiwimon back at Rina, causing her to de-Digivolve back to Floramon._  
"Quite." _responded Centarumon as he blasted Gawappamon, reverting him to Kamemon.  
_"To see the human try so hard to turn on his comrades and fail so effortlessly. Even if Lord Mercurymon only takes pride in our offering, we will always have that memory to look back on and laugh."

"Keh. Damnit, Yusuke!" _muttered Takumi as Yusuke vanished through the temple door and out of sight, his vision being blocked by the looming Centarumon charging his Solar Ray as Unimon stalked Shoji while charging his Horn Blaster attack._

"Goodbye, Digidestined!" _Centarumon bellowed as Takumi tried to move. It was no use. He was too beat up from taking the first Solar Ray attack before. The goggle head tried to dig down deep, planting his hands on the floor to try and push himself up. Still, nothing. His eyes closed as he fell into a deep, brooding thought._

_'How could I have let us fall into such a trap?' Takumi wondered. 'After being treated almost like royalty back in the Minerva Village, did we become naïve of the Digital World?' Takumi's hands became fists. 'Even if by some miracle we were to escape, could we trust that the next Digimon we meet wouldn't do the same thing? And what about Yusuke? Are we to all suspect each other? Agumon! Everyone! I'm so sorry!'_

"Fight!" _came a sudden female voice that Takumi and the others didn't recognise. Takumi's eyes burst open to see not one but two girls leap down from the ceiling. One, dressed in black with silver hair and white eyes. It looked like she was wearing a gothic Lolita version of a nun's habit, but her headdress was like a cat, gnawing on her head.  
The other, was dressed in white, she was younger than the one in black, but her headdress was like a pink, sleeping angel for lack of a better term. Like the one in black however, she also had silver hair and white eyes._

"Well well, looks like we made it just in time, wouldn't you say, Sister Blanc?" _the girl in black said rather cheerfully as it spun a pistol on each hand before pointing them at Centarumon._  
"Um, well, yes, Sister Noir." _replied the girl in white as she brandished a three pronged staff at Unimon._ "Had we delayed any further, we would have failed in our task."  
"Who are you whelps?!" _Centarumon demanded to know, earning a chuckle from the girl in black._  
"Do you really wanna know? Ok! I'll tell you. I am Sistermon Noir, and that is Sistermon Blanc. We're here to relieve the Digidestined from your most generous care and accommodation."  
"You what?" _grunted Unimon. _  
"Quite right." _Sistermon Blanc answered._ "We're on a mission you see."  
"A divine mission at that." _Sistermon Noir continued._  
"And that involves keeping the Digidestined alive." _Sistermon Blanc started again._  
"Or else our charge and Partner will be most cross." _Sistermon Noir finished again._  
"Sister Noir, please. I have this." _Sistermon Blanc whined, earning a hearty chuckle from Sistermon Noir._

"What in the world is going on?" _Takumi asked as just being near this Digimon was giving him strength. Not enough to fight, but enough to allow him to get on his own two feet again. The same was happening with Shoji and the others, the group quickly gathering themselves as the Sistermon went on an active offense._

"Come now, Anthony. Don't let me down." _Sistermon Noir said before firing on Centarumon. _"**MICKEY BULLET!**"  
"May the light of the world guide you to a swift end!" _Sistermon Blanc called before driving the end of her staff into the ground beneath her._ "**PROTECT WAVE!**" _she called as Unimon fired a Horn Blaster, and once the attack had failed, she pulled the staff out of the ground and lunged at Unimon._ "**DIVINE PIERCE!**"  
_The attack caught Unimon, clipping it's wing, causing the Digimon to thrash and whinny in pain while Centarumon was forced to retreat to dodge the onslaught of bullets that Sistermon Noir was firing._  
"**BLESSED FIRE!**" _she called, using both guns at the same time, firing in a straight line at Centarumon. Takumi and Shoji's eyes widened as Centarumon fell on one knee._

"SHE CAPPED HIM!" _they said simultaneously, the group pressing against the wall however as Centarumon charged up and let out a devastating Solar Ray. But Sistermon Blanc had them covered._  
"**PROTECT WAVE!**" _she called, leaping into the air and throwing her staff in front of the group, protecting the humans and their Digimon Partners.  
_"Hey, thanks, Sistermon Blanc!"_ Rina called, waving at the younger Digimon.  
_"Don't thank us yet."_ Sistermon Blanc replied. _"This is far from over."_  
_"Then it's about time that we sped up that process, isn't it, Sisters?"_ called Centarumon through baited breath as he and Unimon had regrouped.  
_"Oh, now it's getting interesting!"_ Sistermon Noir commented with a smirk on her face and a gleam in her eye. Sistermon Blanc gulped in fear.  
_"Uh-oh, Sister Noir's more violent tendancies have kicked in. Um, Sister Noir? Why don't we just do that thing, and then get them out of here?"_  
_"Hmph!"_ replied Sistermon Noir with an expression that screamed 'I want to stomp my foot in protest.' _"Must you always spoil my fun, Sister Blanc?"

_Sistermon Blanc let out a childish giggle before they launched themselves at lightning speed._  
"**GRAND SISTER CRUZ!**" _they called, mirroring each other's actions as Sistermon Blanc clipped Unimon's other wing, and Sistermon Noir fired some more bullets from her Anthony guns into the shoulders of Centarumon. They then leapt back toward the Digidestined getting them to duck as Unimon howled off a Horn Blaster and the attack sailed through the back wall of the temple, creating an escape route. Then, with one final shot, the Sistermon charged their weapons, sending streams of light at Centarumon and Unimon that surrounded them and burst in a column of light as the Sistermon grabbed the weakened Patamon from the altar and leapt from the new exit just as the temple exploded and collapsed on the opposing Digimon._

"That won't hold them for long." _Sistermon Noir noted._ "We need to let her know we were successful and then make our next move."  
"Agreed." _chimed Sistermon Blanc._ "Why don't you go ahead and make the report."  
_Sistermon Noir nodded and touched something on her wrist. _  
"We have them." _she said. _  
"Just barely, but we do." _Sistermon Blanc announced. _  
"Well done, girls." _came another voice unknown to the group._ "I'm just done with the deserter myself. Bring them to 'that place' and we'll regroup from there."  
"Yes ma'am!" _the two voices responded, and communications ended.  
_"Deserter? Who was that? Was she talking about Yusuke?"_ Takumi asked if not pleaded._

_We catch back up with Yusuke and the girl he had named Banchou. It's been a few minutes since they departed, but the journey was a quiet one. This girl was too silent for Yusuke's liking, but at the same time, he was too humiliated to utter even a syllable. Even the idea of sighing felt like it would just draw the girl's ire. He looked ahead, the girl's long jacket with its popped collar just fluttering behind her. Whoever she was, she was stronger than he could have imagined, stronger than even Takumi and Shoji who always seemed to be able to hold their own no matter what._

"I can feel your eyes on me, Kiriyama. You must be getting bored back there." _the red haired girl suddenly proclaimed._  
"What? No!" _Yusuke stammered back._ "More like I'm trying to suss you out."  
"Ah, so you have questions do you?" _she asked not once turning back to look at the orange haired ruffian. _  
"I guess you could say that." _he replied, the girl letting out an 'Hmm' in that dry tone of hers._  
"So will our nakama when we arrive I imagine. If you can hold your patience just a little bit longer, then some of this will become clearer."  
"Some?" _Yusuke questioned._ "And why do you keep calling them 'our' nakama? You haven't even had the courtesy to introduce yourself in the time we've been here. Do you really expect them to trust you? They may do even less when you show up with me in tow."

"So there is a man with a head on his shoulders in there somewhere." _Banchou mused._ "Is that the humility of being humbled talking, I wonder. Or have you always been this capable? You have a point of course. The others will have no reason to trust me right away, but I think in time you will all find my experience here invaluable."  
"So you're sticking around then?" _Yusuke asked, the girl going silent as she stopped at the edge of a cliff face. _  
"We're almost there." _she stated, pointing downwards toward a small town._ "My Partners and I have a small base down there in that town. It is but one of many across the Zones."  
"You get around then." _Yusuke stated, the girl merely pulling the visor of her cap back over her eyes._  
"Your attempt at humour is unwelcome." _she said._ "Now, come along Kiriyama!" _she continued, leaping down and onto the slope that lead to the small town, sliding downhill. _

"Well, today can't get any worse." _Yusuke sighed, sliding downhill alongside the girl and stopping outside the walls of the town. It wasn't a quick stop however as the girl continued moving, leading Yusuke around to the town gates. They enter the town, and much to Yusuke's surprise it was filled with stone houses and straw roofs. It reminded him of the Minerva Village back in the Grass Zone. All around them were various Pumpkinmon and Gotsumon, two different variations of Falcomon and even a handful of Salamon._

"It's a lively enough town, huh?" _Yusuke said to try and start some form of conversation._  
"That may well be true, but every day these Digimon are living their lives in fear of the unknown." _The girl replied._ "Every day is a struggle against death and the poison brought in the wake of the Dark Generals. What's worse is, I fear we may be bringing a blanket of that poison with us just for being here."  
"Then was it such a good idea to meet here?" _the orange haired boy asked, popping the collar of his studded leather jacket and pulling it tighter onto him._  
"Alas, there was nowhere else which where we could regroup. Hopefully our meeting is as swift as a raging river and we can move on and drive the Dark Generals away and lure out the true darkness that squeezes this Zone in its unruly grip."  
"You mean Mercurymon Whispered, don't you?" _Yusuke asked, the girl nodding._  
"Not the name I'd have picked, but it works as it denotes that this Mercurymon is quite different from the one these Digimon were so familiar with."  
"You can thank Takumi for the name… I think." _Yusuke replied._ "It was either Takumi or Shoji that came up with it."

"We're here." _The girl stated, knocking on the door once and getting two knocks in return which she returned with two knocks, getting one back and then responding with three. After this, the door opened; after the undoing of bolts and a padlock that is.  
Inside, Yusuke saw the Sistermon. But even worse, he saw the battered and weary bodies of the group which he had attempted to eliminate and then run out on. A fire raged in Takumi upon seeing Yusuke, and with Shoji too tired to stop him this time, Takumi found the strength to charge right up to the taller teen, anger seething in his red eyes and punch Yusuke right in the face. Not once, not twice, but three separate times before the girl had to restrain him. She drove him back to the rest of the group before looking over the lot of them as Sistermon Noir shut and locked the door._

"Akama Takumi, I take it?" _she asked, the goggle boy nodding before his face entered a shocked state that there was a sixth human among them._ "So, that would mean you are Aoyagi Shoji?" _she asked the blonde, who nodded, each of the group now becoming more perplexed that there was a SIXTH HUMAN standing in the room who knew all their names._ "Which makes you Midorikawa Fumiko… and you Momoi Rina."  
"H-how do you know all this?" _Rina asked._ "We've never even met you before Miss…?"  
"Oh, she's been stalking us since we got here." _Yusuke said, earning a glare from everyone in the room as he held his jaw. _  
"As I explained to the deserter already, I have not been 'stalking' you as he puts it. But rather, I had been waiting to reveal myself to you all. I hadn't planned on doing it this early. Plans changed however, due to his actions earlier."

"Plans?" _Takumi questioned._ "You mean what that treacherous scum did to us? That's what forced you out of hiding? I'm sorry if I don't sound grateful, but just who the hell are you? And if you have a pair of Partners capable of taking on the Dark Generals, why is this our first time meeting?"  
"First. Quell your anger. It should be directed at him, not me. I promise you I am not your enemy. I would hope my Sistermon proved that."  
"To tell you the truth, I'm not sure who I can believe. Unimon dragged us hook line and sinker into a trap. And one of our own tried to capitalise on that. So, no, your Sistermon haven't proven anything and we still don't have your name."  
"Takumi's right." _Fumiko spoke up._ "The dynamic between the fiv—er, six of us right now stinks! We've no guarantee that something like this won't happen again. You've been watching us rather than interacting with us. He…" _she points at Yusuke._ "…outright tried to kill off Agumon and do Centarumon and Unimon's work for them. And right now, we're all hurting so bad that if they were to show up now, we'd be even more useless then we were back then."  
"If anything…" _this time it was Shoji who spoke._ "While we're grateful not to have been blown to bits, how do we know that you haven't just pulled us from the frying pan into the fire, eh old girl?"

"Um, I trust in what the Sistermon did for us." _Rina timidly spoke up, earning a stare from everyone in the room._ "Well, you see, it's just that no matter how many times we repeat how bad what Yusuke did was, it's not going to change the fact that it happened. It's getting us nowhere to just say the same thing over and over. None of us ever thought he was that disgusting but… I believe that what the Sistermon did proves that we can stick together as a group. Maybe she had a good reason for staying out of sight, but, she came through for us when we needed her the most. That's what should matter."  
_Takumi sighed and adjusted his goggles as he looked at Rina, then he looked back at the Banchou._  
"She's right." _he stated happily._ "When we needed a friend and a miracle, you and your Partners, the Sistermon came out of nowhere and saved us from the brink. If that doesn't make you a friend, I don't know what does. As you already know, the name is Takumi. And you are?" _he asked, holding out his hand for her to shake. _  
"Shirogane Yuki." _she stated, grasping Takumi by the wrist rather than the hand._ "I'm glad that you accept me."

"Hey! Wait a minute!" _Yusuke protested._ "How come he gets your name with little more than a handshake and I was told I had to earn it?!"  
"Because he is not a snivelling coward like you, Kiriyama!" _Yuki scolded._ "I also bet that his Agumon could put up a better fight than your weak Partner did."  
"Grr! Why you!" _Yusuke grunted, a blank expression running all over Takumi's face._  
"Wait. Are you saying Koemon lost to the Sistermon?" _he asked, Yusuke shaking his head. _  
"No! Koemon lost to her other Partner, Hackmon. They fought while you were being rescued by the Sistermon."  
"Other Partner? How is that even possible?" _Takumi asked._ "Wait… I thought only one Digimon could be Re:Digitized at a time, and yet, now that I think about it, you have two out."  
"And if what Yusuke says is true." _Fumiko cut in._ "You had three Digimon active during that time?"  
"Yes, well, you see… about that…" _Yuki began, only to be cut off by something that felt like an earthquake. _  
"DIGIDESTINED!" came the familiar roar of Unimon. "Get out here now, or watch this town fall to ruin!"

"Well, let's not keep him waiting." Takumi said sarcastically, looking to the Digivice on his wrist. "How are you feeling Agumon?"  
"Like I wanna tear that guy apart!" _came Agumon's voice from the Digivice, followed by a resounding 'Yeah!' from each of the other Digivices._  
"Sistermon. Have you fed our friends while I was out?"  
"Yes, ma'am. Though the humans weren't as accepting of our meal." _replied Sistermon Blanc._  
"However, once Agumon started devouring more than his share, the others decided to eat before they were left to starve." _continued Sistermon Noir._  
"Very well then." _Yuki replied, the banchou looking to Takumi and the others._ "My friends, I believe it's time that we enacted some vengeance on our opposition, don't you?" _she asked as the building rocked again. _  
"Oh don't you know it!" _came Agumon's voice._ "Let me at 'em, Takumi!"  
"Sistermon. Unlock the door. We have a Zone to save!" _Takumi said as he held out the Digivice._ "Agumon! Re:Digitize!" _he called, the Agumon appearing centre of the room._  
"Hackmon! Re:Digitize!" _Yuki followed, Hackmon appearing in front of Agumon, the two staring at one another. _  
"Oh, I approve of this one, Yuki!" _Hackmon said with a laugh._  
"Let's just go." _Yuki replied dryly as Sistermon Blanc unlocked the door._

_Stepping out the Digidestined found themselves surrounded by legions of purple Digimon that looked like Patamon._

_Tsukaimon_  
_Rookie Level_  
_Attack: Purple Fog._

_Also there were purple Digimon wearing a wolf's fur coat. They were equipped with claws, fangs and a horn on their heads._

_Psychemon_  
_Rookie Level_  
_Attack: Colourful Spark._

_In the middle of these Digimon was Unimon, its wings still damaged from Sistermon Blanc's attack earlier on._

"What? Only five of you?" _Unimon taunted._ "I had heard there was another miserable human in your ranks. Have you ex-communicated and replaced the traitor? Or maybe you executed him!"  
"Enough talk!" _Takumi bellowed._ "We won't allow you to cause any more harm to the Digital World.  
"Oh but I was so looking forward to seeing him try and put up another fight." _Unimon replied, earning a reply from Yuki._  
"We're more than enough fight for you! Takumi, everyone, let's take him down!"  
"Right! AGUMON! DIGIVOLVE!" _Takumi called, striking the Digivice buttons._

_As Agumon became Tyrannomon, Shoji and others summoned their Partners and called for their evolution. Soon enough, it was Tyrannomon, Gawappamon, Aegiomon, Kiwimon and Hackmon staring down the legion of Unimon and his troops._

"Hackmon!" _Yuki called._ "We'll take the Psychemon! And the Tsukaimon. Let the others focus on Unimon!"  
"You got it!" _replied the caped Digimon as it charged at the Psychemon._  
"**FIFTH RUSH!**_" it roared, slashing at the various reptilian Digimon. Unimon stared at Yuki, perplexed by the strength of her Partner. _  
"Ah, I'm sorry. I don't believe I got your name." _Unimon said calmly, Yuki staring at the unicorn Digimon, folding her arms under her chest. _  
"You may have my name when you earn it!" _she replied, the reply sending chills down Takumi's spine. _  
"I'm not sure if that was awesome or stupid. Man, she's really into her role, isn't she?"  
"Uh, Takumi… Unimon. Right in front of us, remember?" _Tyrannomon commented, snapping his Partner back into the battle._  
"Oh, right, sorry. All right, guys! Let's go!"  
"**BLAZE BLAST!**" _roared Tyrannomon._  
"**DJ SHOOTER!**" _followed Gawappamon._  
"**PUMMELL PECK!**" _followed Kiwimon._

_Unimon ducked and weaved, though with its clipped wings, it was considerably slower than it had been when battling the Digidestined back in the temple earlier._

"**HORN BLASTER!**" _Unimon yelled, aiming straight for Tyrannomon, but Aegiomon was there for the intercept._  
"**ATTRACT ECHO!**" _he called, sending Unimon's Horn Blaster back at him like a boomerang. The attack caught Unimon, sending him to the ground._

_Meanwhile, back in the building, Yusuke was staring at Koemon, whose slingshot had been repaired during his time in the Digivice._

"What do we do, huh?" _Yusuke asked._ "We're an absolute laughing stock. The group sees us as nothing more than a villain. The banchou thinks we're weak. But I know we're not weak, so why?  
Is it because I thought that this whole thing was a game? I thought the other five were morons for thinking this was anything but a game, but… when you were getting beat down by Hackmon… I…  
I was afraid, Koemon. For the first time since I started raising you, I was afraid of losing you."  
_Koemon took a few steps toward Yusuke, placing his hand on the Digivice, which caused the kinkoji to appear on Koemon's head yet again. It was then something went off in Yusuke's head._  
"She… she knew all along that this would happen. If I had been allowed to continue treating the others as I have done, there'd have been no rhyme or reason to any of this. I'd have never seen the truth…"  
_Koemon nodded, as quiet as ever, pointing from the kinkoji to Yusuke's heart._

"This isn't a gaming tournament, is it? This is all very real, isn't it? That's why I felt so strongly back then, isn't it? I… I need to make it up to them, Koemon. I can't let them face Unimon alone. He's ruthless. Centarumon can't be too far behind. They have to know this!  
Will you help me?"

_Koemon nodded, the kinkoji shining brightly as a shining ring appeared around Yusuke's Digivice and Koemon's arm. Yusuke turned, swinging the door open as he and Koemon stepped through it and into the line of sight of the other Digidestined._  
"What do you want?" _Fumiko asked, immediately getting defensive until Takumi stepped forward, noticing the arms of Koemon and Yusuke. _  
"What I want… what we want… is to help. If you'll let us." _Yusuke replied, the kinkoji starting to shine brighter. Seeing a fire burning in Yusuke's eyes that was never there before. Whatever happened between Yuki and Yusuke had obviously spurred on a change in the orange haired ruffian. _  
"It's about time." _Takumi said with a smile, the rest of the group going wide-eyed. It was only hours ago that Yusuke had tried to capitalise on the beating they received from Centarumon and Unimon, and now Takumi was accepting an offer of help from Yusuke? Had he gone mad they wondered._

"Ok, Partner! Third time's the charm! Koemon! Digivolve!" _Yusuke called as they crossed their arms, the rings beaming with the light of evolution shining even brighter as a column of light surrounded Koemon._

"**KOEMON DIGIVOLVE TO….**"

_Koemon grew much taller, taking on a wild yellow fur with red markings. His face, hands and feet were blue and in much better proportion to the rest of his body. Strapped to his back was a large bone club. The kinkoji had moved to the Digimon's left hand, wrapping around his index finger._

"**HANUMON!**"

_The new Digimon roared and beat it's chest before rushing Unimon._  
"**INFURIATION!**" _it called, shooting needle like hairs at the opposing Digimon before following up by taking the bone from its back and smacking Unimon hard across the face with it._  
"**MEGA BONE STICK!**" _Hanumon roared, launching Unimon into the air using the massive club before hurling it at the winged Digimon._  
"Everyone, now!" _Yusuke called, Takumi nodding and throwing out his arm for a final assault._  
"Do it, everyone!" _Takumi called out as Unimon began his descent. He tried to flap his wings, but almost out of nowhere, Sistermon Noir was on the scene, riddling them with bullets._  
"**BLAZE BLAST!**" _roared Tyrannomon._  
"**DJ SHOOTER!**" _followed Gawappamon._  
"**PUMMELL PECK!**" _followed Kiwimon.  
_"**TEEN RAM!**"_ followed Hackmon as Unimon hit the ground hard._

"Now, finish him off, Hanumon!"_ Yusuke called one more time as the Champion level monkey Digimon pulled Unimon to its feet by the mane.  
_"**DEMONIC MONKEY INTENSE BOMBARDING FIST!**"_ it bellowed, beginning to wail on Unimon over and over, its speed getting faster and faster until a final assault launch Unimon into the air once more, and as it careened into the sky, it let out a laugh.  
_"This isn't over, Digidestined! Mercurymon will see that he bathes in your blood and that your heads hang from his mantle. This isn't over! I will be avenged!"_ and with one final whinny, Unimon exploded, his data reverting to a DigiEgg which Sistermon Blanc caught as it landed.  
The group stood dumbfounded as Hanumon made his way back to Yusuke.  
_"What are you all looking at me like that for? This isn't over you guys. We still have Centarumon to deal with."_ Yusuke said, Takumi suddenly bursting out laughing as he approached Yusuke.  
_"I'm sorry. I guess nobody really expected you to pull through."_ He said as the other four stood behind him. _"You've been such a…"_  
_"I know."_ Yusuke said, cutting him off. _"I've been a huge jerk to all of you in the name of a stupid game. But I realise now that this is all much greater than that. It may have been the Fight Circuit that brought us all together, but what's going on right now is much greater than that. It's much more important. And if the world that gave me my buddy is in trouble, then I want to help you guys protect it."

"That's good enough for me." _Takumi replied._ "What about you guys?" _he asked, looking behind him._  
"I suppose if he's going to stop being so mean all the time…" _Rina was the first to say._  
"All for one and one for all, I guess." _answered Fumiko with uncertainty in her voice._  
"A team of six is much better than a team of five." _Shoji answered._ "But you'll have to forgive us if it takes a while to warm up to this change of heart you've had."  
_Yuki was silent, but simply nodded at Takumi while crossing her arms under her chest again. _  
"Haha. Well then. I guess it's pretty much unanimous." _Takumi said._ "Welcome back to the team, Yusuke!"  
_Takumi held out his hand and Yusuke shook it, but before any form of celebrations could be had, the group was interrupted by an unwelcome attack._

"**SOLAR RAY!**" _came the familiar call of Centarumon, the group just barely getting out of the way before taking position about the oncoming enemy._

"Two Dark Generals down!" _Takumi started. _  
"One to go!" _Tyrannomon finished. _  
"And look, he's still the hobbling mess we left him in." _chimed Sistermon Noir. _  
"Your bloodlust worries me at times, Noir." _Yuki replied, shaking her head. _  
"Let's just get this over with!" _called Fumiko. _  
"I'm on it!" _replied Aegiomon._ "**ATTRACT ECHO!**" _it called, sending the Solar Ray back at Centarumon, giving the rest of the group an opening to attack as they went to battle against the last Dark General of this Zone._

**END**


	8. Justification

"Centarumon!" _yelled Takumi._ "This ends here! We'll bring you down, and then we'll take out your master, Mercurymon!"  
_The young man was brimming with confidence as the other five humans and their Partner Digimon backed up Tyrannomon and him. Shoji and Gawappamon, Fumiko and Aegiomon, Rina and Kiwimon, the invaluable newcomer, Yuki and Hackmon, and finally, Yusuke and Hanumon._

Hackmon was an oddity however in Takumi's mind. It seemed absurdly powerful, like it had no need of Digivolution like the others had. Even Yusuke, who was quick to boast about being the strongest among the group seemed to have a reverence for Yuki and her Partner Hackmon. And what about the Sistermon duo, Sistermon Noir and Blanc? Yuki referred to them as her Partner Digimon also, and yet, they were capable of being outside the Digivice alongside Hackmon; a feat none of the others had managed to pull off as whenever one of them tried to summon a Digimon that had joined them other than their own Partner, a swap happened.  
Takumi took solace in the fact that they were on his side, as a Digidestined with that sort of power could prove to be a tough adversary later on, and right now, they were having enough trouble thanks to the Dark Generals of this Zone.

Centarumon had yet to respond to Takumi's threat, the Digimon was silent. Too silent almost.  
"Um, hello? Centarumon? Did you hear me?" _the brown haired Goggleboy asked._ "I said—"  
"I heard what you said, you whelp!" _Centarumon responded coldly._ "I was just wondering how you plan to reach me - or Mercurymon for that matter, with so many obstacles in your path."  
_No sooner than Takumi had asked 'Huh?' had Centarumon snapped his fingers and galloped off, out of the village. The sky above them began to shatter, eventually breaking as legions of Digimon came through. There were four separate groups on the battlefield Centarumon had created, but there looked to be at least one hundred in each group._

The Digivices recognised the first group of silver Digimon as Kokuwamon, metal beetle Digimon at the Rookie level. Their heads were shaped like a stun gun.  
The second group were Hagurumon. Mutant Machine Digimon shaped like a gear. They had a gold outline with a black face and two red eyes. On either side of them were two smaller gears.  
The third group were small green Digimon wielding clubs known as Goblimon. They wore brown vests and were generally butt ugly. They didn't look too bright in Fumiko's opinion either.  
The fourth group were ELECMON much to Fumiko and Aegiomon's annoyance. Though these particular Elecmon were purple with yellow stripes and highlights.

"Uh, Takumi!" _called Shoji._ "We may just need a plan of some sort old chap."  
"I see that, Captain Obvious!" _Takumi replied as his mind racked for ideas. One boss Digimon at the Champion level was proving to be a feat to overcome, but now it was flanked by four hundred Rookie level Digimon. Takumi sighed. It's not like they could withdraw now. Where would they go?  
He looked back to see Fumiko and Aegiomon staring a hole through the gathering of purple Elecmon as if their pride had been ripped out and trample all over._  
"Alright! We have to be smart about this." _Takumi said finally as he glared at Centarumon, who was slinking back behind his mooks._  
"Fumiko! You and Rina team up against the Elecmon!" _he called._  
"Gladly!" _came the voice of the green haired girl as she leapt into the fray before even Aegiomon could. Rina sighed at this, lowering her head before glancing wryly at Kiwimon._  
"She's like our own Sistermon Noir sometimes. Have you noticed that?"  
_Kiwimon nodded._  
"Let's just help them out before Fumiko does herself some harm, hm?" _Kiwimon replied, getting a nod from Rina as they ran in after the other duo.  
_"Shoji! Yusuke!" _Takumi then followed up._ "The Hagurumon are all yours!"  
"Righto!" _replied Shoji, Gawappamon nodding._  
"Gotcha, boss!" _replied Yusuke and he and Hanumon just smirked at one another. _  
"And don't forget you guys. Help the others when you can." _Takumi called._ "We're in deep here. So deep that we're actually in over our heads."  
"Right!" _the other boys replied before rushing the Hagurumon._

"Shirogane!" _Takumi said, turning to the Banchou._ "That means you and Hackmon are with Tyrannomon and me."  
"Fair enough." _she replied dryly._ "And our target?"  
"The Kokuwamon." _Takumi said._ "Sistermon. Can you two please do what you can with the Goblimon?" _he asked, the Sistermon looking to one another and then back to Yuki who closed her eyes and nodded as she folded her arms under her chest again._  
"Well, if we have the go ahead, then sure Takumi." _Sistermon Noir finally responded._ "Come, Blanc." _she continued, taking the younger Sistermon by the hand and dragging her toward the Goblimon, a laugh that creeped Takumi out echoing over the battlefield as Sistermon Noir drew her Anthony pistols._  
"Alright then, Tyrannomon! Shirogane! Hackmon!" _Takumi called as he punched his palm._ "Let's make it showy, eh?"  
"Heh, what a marvelous idea, Captain!" _Yuki replied._  
"Oh, so you can spit out jokes now." _Takumi teased as Tyrannomon rampaged through the group of Kokuwamon, rending a few asunder with a powerful 'Blaze Blast'. _  
"When the moment calls for it." _the banchou responded as Hackmon's 'Fifth Rush' comboed into a 'Teen RAM', ridding the field of a few more Kokuwamon._

Meanwhile, Shoji and Yusuke were making the most of the situation they were in.  
"What's it feel like to be one of the Scoobies, old boy?" _Shoji asked as Hanumon knocked one of the Hagurumon sky high.  
_"Not bad." _Yusuke replied as Gawappamon shot off a DJ Shooter attack which cleaved the airbourne Digimon in half._ "Better than I thought it would be anyway."  
"Oh? And just how did you think it would be?" _Shoji asked, Gawappamon launching its 'Gawappa Punch' attack to knock a few more Hagurumon into the air. _  
"Ionno." _Yusuke shrugged as Hanumon tossed its bone club into the air and smashed through the Hagurumon._ "Boring I suppose. Keep in mind, I never expected this to turn into a tag team tournament."  
"Heh, fair enough." _Shoji replied, narrowly dodging a gear that one of the Hagurumon had shot from its face._

Elsewhere on the battlefield, the Sistermon were making short work of the Goblimon.  
"Not only are they ugly as sin, but they're dumb as two planks to boot." _taunted Sistermon Noir as she easily dodged and weaved away from a Goblimon who had become obsessed with striking her down with its club. _  
"You… you're having way too much fun with this, aren't you?" _Sistermon Blanc asked as she used her staff to block an attack from multiple Goblimon before spinning the three pronged staff and cleaving through the Goblimon.  
_"Mmmmmaybe." _Sistermon Noir replied as she bit her lip and flipped backward into the air and fired on a Goblimon that was trying to ambush Sistermon Blanc. It dropped to the ground before exploding into Digicode. This just angered the Goblimon who was already chasing her as it just became more irate._  
"**GOBLIN STRIKE!"** _it yelled, summoning a fireball in its hand and throwing it at Sistermon Noir, who backflipped again to avoid the fireball._  
"Tsk tsk." _Sistermon Noir tutted._ "You had to go and bring magic into this, didn't you? You just couldn't keep amusing me with your ridiculous club swings. What a disappointment."  
_The Goblimon looked genuinely confused as Sistermon Noir began to scold it for using a projectile attack, and just as it realised it shouldn't be getting scolded by the enemy, Sistermon Noir had the barrel of Anthony right in Goblimon's face._  
"Goodnight, foul beast." _she taunted before pulling the trigger and as the Goblimon vanished, she began to laugh._ "Mercy me, I'm having so much fun!" _she said before looking around to find that a group of Goblimon were now advancing on her, fireballs in hand. To her right, the same was happening with Sistermon Blanc, and the two Sistermon suddenly found themselves back to back._  
"Ready to say goodbye, Blanc?" _asked Sistermon Noir with a giggle._  
"Not a hope in h—" _Sistermon Blanc was cut off as a mass fireball attack was headed the way of the Sistermon duo.  
_"**PROTECT WAVE!**" _Sistermon Blanc called, driving her staff into the ground and creating a protective barrier that deflected the oncoming fireballs._  
"**BLESSED FIRE!**" _Sistermon Noir followed up, firing round after round at the Goblimon._

Then we come to Fumiko and Rina, which may aswell have just been Fumiko and Aegiomon for how much offense they were allowing Rina and Kiwimon to get in. Though, Rina wasn't sure if she should be in awe at Fumiko, or worried as the green haired girl delivered a swift kick to one of the purple Elecmon, kicking it toward Aegiomon, who would then use his 'Attract Echo' attack to echo a DIFFERENT Elecmon's attack and throw it at the one Fumiko had just kicked. Luckily, Rina didn't have to pick which feeling to go with as she was a weird mix of both.  
But then, out of the corner of her eye, she caught an Elecmon that had snuck up on Fumiko.  
"**ASSASSIN'S BOLT!**" _it cried, sending what looked like a black version of their Elecmon's Super Thunder Strike right at Fumiko. _  
"Oh no you don't!" _Rina yelled._ "Kiwimon!"  
"On it!" _she replied._ "**PUMMELL PECK!**" _Kiwimon called, the ChibiKiwimon flying from Kiwimon's mouth and exploding against the Elecmon, the explosion cauing Fumiko to turn around and see a black lightning bolt fizzle out just inches from her. Fumiko looked over to Rina and gave a thumbs up._  
"Hey, thanks, Rina! You too, Kiwimon!" _she called, turning back to help Aegiomon as Rina climbed onto Kiwimon's back and directed her Partner toward another group of the Elecmon._  
"**HIGH JUMPING KICK!**" _Kiwimon called, launching into the air and dropping down on the Elecmon before using its skull beak to attack another one close by._  
"**NOSE MATTOCK!**"

"**BLAZE BLAST!**" _roared Tyrannomon as we come back to Takumi and Yuki, the Champion level Digimon's flame doing away with several more of the silver beetle Digimon while Hackmon drilled away at another few with his tail.  
_"You know, I've been thinking." _Takumi speaks up as he watches the ongoing battles betyween the four groups and their Digimon.  
_"And what conclusion have you reached, Akama-kun?" _Yuki replied as Centarumon's forced whittled away piece by piece.  
_"This is going way too easily." _Takumi responded._ "Any chance that this might be a trap?"  
"Heh. So you see it too, do you?" _Yuki asked as to answer Takumi's question._ "Yes, I believe that this is very much a trap. I just have no idea what's he's planning."  
"So many enemies… could he just be tiring us out?" _Takumi wondered. _  
"Possibly. It would be much easier to dispose of us if that were the case. But, I don't think it's that simple." _Yuki responded as she adjusted the visor of her cap._  
"I hate not knowing!" _Takumi grunted. _  
"What twigged with you that this is a set up?" _Yuki asked, if only to keep the Goggle head focused._  
"The groups are hardly making an effort to fight back for one."  
"So many of them, and yet we're not overwhelmed?"  
"Exactly. When Centarumon summoned four hundred troops, I was expecting something a lot more organised. But instead, they're acting as fodder for something."  
"As if Centarumon is just stalling for time!" _Yuki finished, with not so much a question than a statement, Takumi nodding, his eyes narrowing._ "Don't get distracted, Akama-kun. Our only way to Centarumon is through these mooks."

_Eventually, each regiment was down to less than ten troops a piece, Centarumon watching on as his single glowing red eye began to shine brighter and brighter. The Digidestined, almost completely worn out from the battle with Unimon and his mooks and now Centarumon and his, rush forward to face Centarumon, who holds out his left hand, the group watching on as a purple diamond appeared in it with what looked like an SD card inside._

"Wh-what's that?" _Takumi asked._  
"That's a Zone Code." _Yuki tells him, though a change in her tone suggests that Takumi should already know that._ "Surely you got one after defeating the Dark Generals of Grass Zone."  
"What? No. We got nothing like that." _Takumi responded._  
"That's right." _Shoji interrupted._ "I think we'd recall something that odd."  
"Right." _Fumiko spoke up._ "Neither MadLeomon, Greymon nor Meramon had anything like that on them."  
_Yuki went pale hearing that._ "This is bad. It means either you missed one, or Minervamon Whispered still has the Zone Code." _she said._  
"Missed one?" _asked Yusuke, almost disgusted._ "I thought there were only three Dark Generals per Zone."  
"Well, yes, but…"  
"Is it possible Meramon wasn't actually a—" _Fumiko was cut off by Takumi._  
"Um, guys. We actually might want to pay attention to Centarumon here." _he said as Centarumon raised the Zone Code high above his head. It started to emit an eerie purple light and attracted something en masse from the sky above. On closer inspection, it was fragments of data, approaching the Zone Code like a swarm of insects._  
"Wh-what's going on?" _Rina asked, Centarumon starting to laugh as the Zone Code began to absorb the data. _  
"Brace yourselves! The real fight is just beginning!" _Yuki told them as the Zone Code rose even higher into the air and split into two before descending on either side of Centarumon._  
"Digidestined! Prepare for the end!" _bellowed Centarumon as the Zone Codes began to morph into a ball of data, those balls of data then beginning to take shape into something that turned the rest of the group pale._  
"You've…" _started Takumi._  
"Gotta…" _continued Shoji._  
"Be…" _continued Fumiko._  
"Kidding…" _continued Yusuke._  
"Me!" _finished Rina._  
"The power of the Zone Code… " _muttered Yuki._ "To think it could be used in this way…"  
_On Centarumon's right side now stood Unimon. On his left, Pegasusmon. But something was different about them. They were tinted in purple and their eyes were sullen, if not completely dark. And to Takumi's surprise, they made no big qualm or gesture about being revived from dead. _  
"Prepare for the might of three Dark Generals you miserable fools!" _Centarumon boasted as Unimon leapt at Tyrannomon, who quickly spun around to knock Unimon out of the sky with his tail. The tail however went right through Unimon, cutting the Digimon in half, only for the Digimon to reform just as quickly before the group could even celebrate Tyrannomon's quick thinking._

"**HORN BLASTER!**" _Unimon called, with more of a shriek than a battle cry. The attack hurtled toward Tyrannomon, but was intercepted by Hackmon, who leapt into the air and clawed right through the lump of fiery crystal heading toward Tyrannomon. _  
"Thanks!" _Tyrannomon said to the smaller Digimon as it landed on all fours, growling at Unimon._  
"What the heck is going on?" _Yusuke asked as the reborn Pegasusmon took to the sky and spread its wings. _  
"**STAR SHOWER!**" _it called, a meteor shower raining down on the Digidestined._  
"**PROTECT WAVE!**" _responded Sistermon Blanc as Sistermon Noir backed her up._  
"**MICKEY BULLET!**" _called the older of the Sistermon, but much like Tyrannomon's attack, the bullets sailed right through Pegasusmon and he reformed unharmed._  
"Ah here! Foul play!" _called Shoji._ "Holy bullets should be super effective against these ruddy zombie Digimon!"

"Forget it!" _called Takumi, trying to get the group back on track._ "We beat them once, we'll do it again. Three of them means nothing against the six of us and the eight Digimon we have on our side!"  
"Eight?" questioned Tyrannomon.  
"That's right!" _Takumi responded._ "You, Gawappamon, Kiwimon, Hanumon, Aegiomon, Hackmon and don't forget, we also have Sistermon Noir and Sistermon Blanc on our side."  
"You can have all the teammates you like." _Centarumon yelled._ "It won't make a difference against me. Not while the Zone Code is in my possession."  
"Then we'll just have to take it from you, freak!" _Yusuke retorted._  
"Th-that's right!" _spoke up Rina._ "We c-can't just l-let you do whatever y-you want with that sort of power!"  
"Bold words coming from a traitor and pipsqueak!" _Centarumon responded._ "Very well. Come and get it! If you think you can."

_Rina and Yusuke glared at Centarumon before looking to Takumi, their expressions a mix of pleading and anger. Takumi just nodded and the two took off, Yusuke with Hanumon and Rina riding on Kiwimon._  
"**INFURIATION!**" _roared Hanumon, shooting its needle like hair at Centarumon._  
"**HIGH JUMPING KICK!**" _Kiwimon followed up, the two Digimon really going at it against Centarumon._  
"Takumi!" _called Fumiko suddenly. "Please join me in taking down this Pegasusmon." she asked, Takumi nodding._  
"Sure. If that's what you want. I suppose you would have a personal interest seeing as how you only defeated him." _he replied sheepishly before turning to Yuki. _  
"Shirogane, Shoji. That means you two have Unimon."  
"Understood, Akama-kun!" _Yuki responded, Shoji punching his palm to mimic Takumi. _  
"You got it. Leave it to us." _The blonde replied as each pairing took off in a separate direction. _  
"Let's go, Tyrannomon!"  
"Let's go, Gawappamon!" _Takumi and Shoji said in unison._

"That's a strong place of trust you and Akama-kun have in one another, Aoyagi." _Yuki started as Gawappamon punched at Unimon._  
"Well, truth be told, he's the only one of us that seemed to have his head on his shoulders as soon as we got here."  
"Is that so_?" the Banchou asked as Hackmon clawed at the Unimon while Gawappamon continued to punch at it. _  
"Don't get me wrong. We were all a bit freaked out. Especially when meeting our Partners for the first time, but, I don't really know how to explain it. Takumi and Agumon, it's just like all the pieces fit when their eyes met. And then when Agumon first Digivolved into Tyrannomon. They're a perfect fit for this place."  
"And what about you?" _she pressed._  
"Me?" _he questioned._  
"Where do you see yourself in all of this?"  
"Right now, I have no idea. I was bored at that tournament where we all sort of met but not really. Those four were nothing but names on a list of opposition. To think I'd come to rely on them as much as I have… I suppose I'm still working out just what my role is here." _Shoji replied, looking on as Gawappamon's 'DJ Shooter' had allowed for Hackmon and Gwappamon to try taking on a different part of Unimon, only to fail as the Digimon reformed and threw them back with a powerful 'Horn Blaster'._  
"And now you and Akama-kun are leader and second in command."  
"Second in command?"  
"Oh, you would prefer to be thought of as the leader, would you, Aoyagi?"  
"No. I'm not cut out to lead. I just always looked at Fumiko as being Takumi's first officer, for lack of a better term." _Shoji replied as Gawappamon tried a different tactic, this time using his 'Gawappa Rapper' to entrance Unimon with a dance while Hackmon used 'Teen RAM' to drill through the Digimon._  
"I see. Midorikawa… Hm, she is strong, but… I believe in a crisis, should something ever happen to Akama-kun that they would look to you."  
"Well, let's hope that that doesn't happen, eh old girl." _Shoji replied with a bit of a laugh._ "If something were to happen, not only would it destroy the team, but, I don't even have a pair of goggles to take over the role of leader."  
"Goggles…?" _Yuki questioned, though part of her wanted to smack Shoji for calling her 'old', not that her unwavering expression showed it._  
"That's right. I take it you know that in Digimon lore, the one with the Goggles is always the leader… Though, they did stop that for the fif—"  
"Really? You're comparing real world fiction to our current situation?"  
"Well, it had to come from somewhere. Our current situation is proof of that."  
"Touché" _Yuki replied. _  
"But what about you, Banchou Yuki Shirogane?" _Shoji suddenly asked._ "What's your interest in Takumi?"  
"My interest?" _Yuki responded._  
"Well, he's the only one of the five of us that you've applied an honorfic to for one..." _the blonde replied, but before he could continue or Yuki could reply, Unimon attacked.  
_"**UNI GALLOP!**" _it roared, unleashing a powerful blow with its hind legs that threw Gawappamon and Hackmon to their Partner's feet._

Meanwhile, Takumi and Fumiko were having just as much of a hard time with Pegasusmon.  
"**ATTRACT ECHO!**" _called Aegiomon as it echoed Pegasusmon's Equis Beam attack back at it, Tyrannomon following up with the only attack it had with enough range to meet the flying Digimon, 'Blaze Blast'. And while the raging flame seemed to melt the revived Digimon, the data reformed just as quickly, Pegasusmon, or whatever this was that had taken his shape fired back with a Mane Wind attack, which wasn't too different from Hanumon's Infuriation attack in how it worked, the needle rain instead coming from Pegasusmon's mane._  
"Ugh! What is up with this thing?!" _Takumi yelled._ "No matter what we do to it, the attacks might as well just be bouncing off of it for all the good its doing!"  
"I know, believe me." _Fumiko responded._ "This wasn't exactly what Aegiomon and I had in mind when we defeated him before." _This elicited a 'Heh!' from Takumi which caught a raised eyebrow from Fumiko._  
"Something funny, Takumi?" _she asked. _  
"No no, not funny. It's just, cool actually. I've just realised how strong we're all after getting." _he replied. _  
"Strong? Excuse me?" _Fumiko asked, her tone of voice showing that she wasn't exactly getting what Takumi was getting at. _  
"Well, think about it. Your Elecmon only Digivolved for the first time a few hours ago, and yet, here we are again in the midst of a tough battle, after only having been through one and Aegiomon has managed to maintain that form through this battle, the one with Unimon and Pegasusmon before.  
That goes for Hanumon too. He's the most recently evolved of us all, and yet, neither Hanumon or Yusuke have lost it during all of this." _the goggle boy replied with a beaming smile._

"I see what you're getting at. We're able to keep our strength for longer now." _Fumiko responded._ "Like endurance training. I guess that is pretty cool."  
"That's not what I meant." _Takumi responded, getting a 'Huh?' from Fumiko._ "See, every time Agumon Digivolves, I feel like I'm helping him somehow. As if my own energy is helping with the Digivolution. And seeing the six of us coming together, I think that's given us even more energy, even if we don't realise it, and it's not only strengthened us as a group, but it's also strengthened the bonds between us and our Digimon. Of course, I could be completely wrong. But, that's how I feel."  
"No, Takumi." _called Tyrannomon from the battlefield._ "I think you're right. I feel it too; the power of your emotions willing us Digimon on. We Digimon take pride and strength in the faith of our Partners and we work our hardest together. That bond is the glue that holds us all together. If it wasn't for that, I don't think Yusuke could have reformed as easily as he did."  
_Takumi's eyes widened at Tyrannomon's words as he snapped his head toward Centarumon who was fending off Hanumon and Kiwimon with as much ease as Unimon and Pegasusmon were keeping them at bay._  
"We've got this all wrong!" _Takumi suddenly called out._ "Tyrannomon, Aegiomon. Pull back!"  
"What?" _Aegiomon called as he and Tyrannomon were suddenly caught by Pegasusmon._  
"**RODEO GALLOP_!_**_" it roared, unleashing a powerful blow with its hind legs that threw Tyrannomon and Aegiomon at their Partner's feet._

Hanumon and Kiwimon weren't faring any better as Kiwimon's 'Pummell Peck' attack was easily destroyed by Centarumon's 'Solar Ray' as Centarumon blasted Kiwimon and threw her back. The Champion level Digimon wasn't done yet, leaping at Centarumon.  
"**NOSE MATTOCK!**" _she called, giving Hanumon at opening in which to use his 'Mega Bone Stick', swinging the bone club right into Centarumon's stomach, causing the opposing Digimon to stagger backward as Kiwimon's attack then connected, or so it looked. Instead, Centarumon had reached out and grabbed Kiwimon by the beak and in an instant was using the flightless bird Digimon as a club in which to beat down Hanumon. _  
"Kiwimon!" _Rina called out, about to rush to her Partner's side, only to be pulled back by Yusuke as both of their Partner's cried out in pain.  
Centarumon finally released Kiwimon, dropping her beside Hanumon._ "Is that all a Traitor and a Pipsqueak can do? I'm not surprised."  
"You shut your damn mouth!" _Yusuke retorted as Kiwimon and Hanumon picked themselves up, but they were far too weak to continue on._  
"**JET GALLOP!**" _roared Centarumon, unleashing a powerful blow with its hind legs that threw Hanumon and Kiwimon to their Partner's feet._  
"Rina!" _Yusuke called._ "We have to do it now. Otherwise we'll lose Hanumon and Kiwimon!" _he said as he noticed the others regrouping._ "C'mon, let's get to the others!" _he said loudly, then whispering to Rina, who just nodded and called Kiwimon back into the Digivice with little more than a murmur.  
Yusuke did the same thing, and recalled Hanumon the two rushing back to meet Takumi and the others. _  
"So now the traitor and the pipsqueak retreat with their tails between their legs?" _Centarumon laughed._ "Well, I'll give you all something to take pride in. You know when you're beaten!"

"Beaten?" _questioned Takumi._ "Man, talk about the pride before the fall!" _the goggleboy called, drawing a questioning stare from Centarumon. _  
"The fall? What in the world are you prattling on about now?" _he asked._ "You are powerless against the power of Digimon revived by the Zone Code, and against insurmountable odds, your own teammates have chosen to quit and recall their Digimon pets. And yet you—" _Centarumon paused. _"Where is Tyrannomon, boy?!" _he demanded to know._ "Have you chosen to call it quits too?"  
_Takumi laughed at the notion and then shook his head._  
"As if I would make it that easy on you!" _Takumi retorted, holding up the Digivice on his left wrist._ "LOADERLIOMON! RE: DIGITIZE!" _the goggle boy roared, the mechanical lion bursting out of the Digivice and lunging at Centarumon, slashing the opposing Champion level Digimon with a massive metallic claw. Centarumon let out a yelp, but then the ground beneath him started to crumble._  
"Wh-what's going on!" _he yelled, Takumi chuckling as from under the ground came two other Digimon, Dorulumon and Digmon. _  
"It seems I forgot to mention something earlier." _Takumi starts._ "We don't just have eight Digimon on our side. We have ELEVEN!" _he called as the ground beneath Centarumon finally gave way and he collapsed into a crater, dropping the Zone Code._  
"What? No! You can't trick me like this! You're supposed to be the good guys!" _Centarumon growled as he pulled himself out of the crater only to see that LoaderLiomon had taken the Zone Code._  
"The ends justify the means…" _Takumi started._ "A statement that was almost tainted by what Yusuke did. But you know what? We've forgiven him for that, so I won't have you insulting him. And when it means getting this Zone Code away from you and away from Mecurymon Whispered, then I have no problem in employing such a tactic!"  
"You WILL return that!" _Centarumon roared, taking aim at LoaderLiomon._ "**SOLAR RAY!**" _but LoaderLiomon dodged with ease, dashing toward Takumi with the Zone Code as Digmon and Dorulumon launched attacks at the wound LoaderLiomon had made._ "Grrr! Unimon! Pegasusmon! Seize them!" _Centarumon commanded, but the revived Digimon stood in place, Centarumon roaring as they began to fade away, the data that created them vanishing slowly._

"Wow, looks like you were right, Takumi." _Fumiko commented as Takumi held the Zone Code in his hand, the once purple diamond turning a red colour as it disappeared into Takumi's Digivice._  
"It was Tyrannomon that gave me the idea to be honest." _Takumi admitted._ "Centarumon and the Zone Code were the glue keeping those zombie Digimon together. Separate the source and the result literally comes unglued."  
"A fine metaphor for our discussion, wouldn't you say, Banchou?" _Shoji said quietly, nudging the girl with the crimson hair. But Yuki remained silent, her white eyes shut and concealed under the visor of her cap. _  
"Are we ready then?" _Fumiko asked, Takumi nodding before smiling at LoaderLiomon._  
"Thank you for your help, LoaderLiomon. Rina! Yusuke! Get ready!" _he called, holding out his Digivice again, the others following his example._  
"TYRANNOMON! RE: DIGITIZE!"  
"HANUMON! RE: DIGITIZE!"  
"KIWIMON! RE:DIGITIZE!" _the trio called, LoaderLiomon, Dorulumon and Digimon being replaced by Tyrannomon, Kiwimon and Hanumon respectively. Takumi punched his palm and adjusted his goggles. _  
"Alright guys. With the Zone Code out of Centarumon's possession, I think we're about ready to end this!"

"Finally!" everyone replied as they advanced on Centarumon.  
"**SOLAR RAY!**" _Centarumon attempted, but he was cut off mid attack as Hackmon launched at him with a 'Fifth Rush' attack._  
"**PUMMELL PECK!**" _called Kiwimon, firing a ChibiKiwimon off at the weak point made by LoaderLiomon and the others._  
"**DEMONIC MONKEY INTENSE BOMBARDING FIST!**" _roared Hanumon, following up on Kiwimon's assault. _  
"**STUN BEAT BLOW!**" _followed up Aegiomon, beating up its opponent while releasing the electricity that flows inside its body from its arms. Centarumon couldn't help but feel like it was being paralyzed from the move._ "Huh, so he does have other attacks." _Shoji mused._  
"**DJ SHOOTER!**" _Gawappamon followed up, CDs launching from his head and into the provided weak spot._  
"**BLESSED FIRE!**" _cackled Sistermon Noir as she blasted at Centarumon with her Anthony pistols. _  
"**DIVINE PIERCE!**" _called Sistermon Blanc hurling her staff through the weak point, Centarumon now at its limit as Tyrannomon's shadow loomed over him. Tyrannomon's mouth was billowing with fire._  
"This…d-does—doesn't end with me!" _Centarumon started._ "You m-might de-defeat me… but you are all still weak by the standards of Mercurymon. By the standards of all the Olympus Whispered."  
_Yuki pressed the inside of her cheek with her tounge, which caught Centarumon's attention._ "Yes, even you, despite your own accomplishments, Banchou Yuki Shirogane!"  
_Takumi and the others glanced at Yuki as Centarumon singled her out._  
"It doesn't matter…" _Centarumon continued._ "My defeat… It's all part of a greater plan!"  
_Tyrannomon just snarled, getting fed up listening to this last monologue._  
"**BLAZE BLAST_!_**_" it roared, allowing the billowing flame to engulf Centarumon. The group watched as Centarumon cried out and then disappeared. To his left and right, the zombie Digimon had disappeared too. This was over, for now._

With a sigh, the Digimon all de-Digivolved not back into their Rookie forms, but instead, their In-Training forms. In place of Agumon was a round pink Digimon with long ears called Koromon.  
In place of Kamemon was a small green bird looking Digimon called Chapmon.  
In place of Floramon was a small green plant Digimon named Tanemon.  
In place of Elecmon was a Digimon with orange fur, a pale face and a horn sticking from its head called Tsunomon.  
And in place of Koemon was… Koemon. Much to everyone's surprise, Koemon was the only Digimon not to revert back to its In-Training stage, but before Yusuke could get carried away, Yuki cut him off.  
"Don't get carried away. You and Hanumon didn't face off against as many opponents as your friends. Their Digimon are understandably more exhausted than you and your Partner."  
"At least tell me that this is all over for today." _Yusuke protested, Takumi shaking his head._  
"Not yet. There is one more plot hole I want to clear up before we even think of leaving this Zone." Takumi said, looking to Yuki. "But first, we'll need to go back to Shirogane's hold back in the village."

_As everyone looked at Takumi with a blank expression, Fumiko suddenly piped up._  
"PATAMON!" _she said, while holding Tsunomon under her arm, everyone else, Yuki excluded realising that they had forgotten about him.  
Takumi just nodded, not saying a word more as he led the group back to the village, and back toward Yuki's stronghold, everyone holding their exhausted In-Training Digimon under their arm, while Koemon climbed onto Yusuke's shoulders, but even then, Koemon slumped against the back of Yusuke's head. Yuki called Hackmon and the Sistermon to her side as they went back to see what mystery Takumi wanted to unravel._

"Hmm, what's he up to?" _Shoji wondered as he held Chapmon close, and then his eyes widened as he remembered what happened when they first met Patamon. _  
"Does he suspect…" _he murmured, trailing off as Rina interrupted his train of thought._  
"Everything all right, Shoji?" _the pink haired girl asked before being pulled back by Yusuke. _  
"Leave him alone, Pinkie. He's probably just exhausted like the rest of us." _Yusuke said, earning a sheepish laugh from Rina._  
"Oh right, of course." _she replied, Shoji waving it off. _  
"Don't worry about it Rina. I'm fine, really." _he said then looking back to Takumi and Yuki as they made it back to the village. Just where was this going to go he wondered._

**END**


	9. Just Can't Hack It!

_Back at Yuki's stronghold, Takumi, Yuki, Fumiko and Shoji were inside, while Yusuke and Rina spoke with various Digimon outside who were grateful for the group banding together to stop Unimon and Centarumon from destroying their town.  
Inside the stronghold, Patamon lay sleeping on a table. Presumably, he's been out cold since their first meeting Takumi thought as Fumiko looked back and forth between the Patamon and and the goggle boy._  
"Takumi. What's the meaning of this?" _she asked through a yawn. The whole group was exhausted after the trials they had been through, but Takumi just wouldn't let this go._  
"Do you remember what Patamon said when we met him?" _Takumi finally asked. Shoji and Fumiko took a moment then looked back to the group leader._  
"Ah, you mean that when we freed him from the large rocks it was trapped between that he claimed it was a human who had hurt him?" _Shoji asked, getting a nod from Takumi. _  
"That's right. But, we were in the Grass Zone when that happened." _Takumi responded._ "So, the question remains. Whodunnit? The five of us were in the Grass Zone, and the only other human we've met since coming to Mountain Zone is you." _he said, staring at Yuki._  
"Yuki." _Shoji and Fumiko said in time with Takumi's 'you'. The Banchou raised her head, extending her right arm to silence a now growling Hackmon. Her white eyes met Takumi's red eyes and something of a staredown ensued as Takumi extended his left arm to nudge Patamon in the hopes of rousing him._

"You mean to accuse me of purposefully injuring a Digimon?" _Yuki asked as Patamon slowly came out of his deep sleep. _  
"Not accuse, no. I'm just making sure." _Takumi replied as Patamon rubbed his eyes._ "We've had enough surprises today, and if it means that there might be more humans out there than us six, then I need to make sure Patamon doesn't freak out when he sees you, Shirogane."  
_The air was tense as Patamon came to his senses and began looking around in horror._  
"What's going on? Where am I? What do you humans want?" _he squeaked, trying to flap his winged ears and escape the view of the four humans looking over him. Then his eyes fell on Yuki, the crimson haired girl in the cap and long white jacket._  
"YOU!" _he screeched before leaping off the table, only to be caught by Fumiko._  
"Hey. Take it easy, little guy." _Fumiko told Patamon, his ears twitching as he recognised her voice. The yellow and white Digimon looked up at Fumiko, he then recognised Shoji._  
"You again? What are you working with that human now?" _he asked meakly.  
Fumiko glanced at Yuki and then back to Patamon._ "We're just trying to get to the bottom of what happened to you." _she said gently._ "But I'm glad to see that your injuries are no longer life threatening."  
"That would be due to the Sistermon's treatment." _Yuki spoke up finally._ "We might not have been able to save the Temple, but to have saved its last servant. That will suffice for now."  
"Save?" _objected Patamon._ "It's you who did this to me! You took everything from me!"  
"Yuki. Don't you think you should explain what happened?" _Takumi asked._  
"Quite right!" _commented Shoji._ "Despite the invaluable help you've provided us, Patamon's not exactly painting you in the greatest of light, now is he?"

_After a pause that seemed to take forever, Yuki spoke._  
"I had only just arrived on the scene." _she started. _  
"The power of the Zone Code that you now possess was being manipulated by Centarumon. Pegasusmon was a member of the Temple's order from what I could gather. Not only that, but he was in the midst of training Patamon to become a member of that order. That's when I saw it happen; a dark energy consumed Pegasusmon and begun changing him into one of this Zone's Dark Generals. He tried to attack Patamon, but Hackmon stopped him. Patamon would not accept that his friend and master could have suddenly changed into such a ferocious killer and as Hackmon attacked Pegasusmon, he got in the way.  
Hackmon's attack had caught Patamon and sent him flying. A full force 'Fifth Rush', it was a miracle Patamon wasn't instantly deleted. And then you and your friends came through the portal, so I left the scene. I wasn't ready to reveal myself to you all as I've said previously. I knew that I could count on you to find and help Patamon, so I made it to this town, where the residents put Hackmon, the Sistermon and I up in the safehouse in exchange for protecting them from the Dark Generals' mooks.  
What I could not foresee however, was that the corrupting power of a Zone Code drenched in Darkness had already spread to the Temple of Light, and thus, we've lost not just Pegasusmon, but the Temple and Unimon too. Even Centarumon was a member of the Order, and thanks to Mercurymon Whispered, we were left with no other option than—"

"So, you're saying that these Dark Generals might not be any special Digimon within the Whispered ranks?" _Takumi asked._ "That, the Olympus Whispered might have just gotten bored and selected three Digimon at random, regardless of level or power?"  
"Something like that, Akama-kun." _Yuki replied, adjusting the visor of her cap._ "I believe the levels of the Digimon, Rookie, Champion, Ultimate and Mega are decided based on how much the Olympus Whispered value the Zone. At the same time, we won't encounter any Mega level Dark Generals ."  
"Oh?" _questioned Shoji._ "And just why is that, old girl?"  
"Because the Whispered would not take the chance that a subservient officer might go rogue. You'd have a war within a war if that were to happen." _Yuki informed him. She motioned to continue, when suddenly Patamon interrupted.  
_  
"Don't continue talking like I'm not here!" _Patamon cried out._ "Are you truly telling me that everything I knew and everyone I loved is gone?"  
_Fumiko sighed. When he put it like that, how could she not feel partly responsible?_  
"I'm sorry, Patamon." _Fumiko then said softly._ "If we didn't do what needed to be done, then this whole Zone would have been lost to the Dark Generals."  
"That's right." _Takumi added._ "We've lost some pretty great friends too because of all this." _he said._  
"Yeah." _Shoji followed._ "Everyone in Minerva Village was turned to stone and put on display for us to see."  
"Like giant, stone puppets." _Fumiko finished, her voice bereft of anything but sadness and exhaustion. _  
"So, as you can see Patamon." _Yuki spoke up._ "You are not the only one in this world to suffer!" _she said firmly._ "All across the Digital World, in other Zones, Digimon everywhere are suffering at the hands of the Olympus Whispered and their Dark Generals who manipulate the power of a Zone's Code." _she raised her hand in front of her._ "Our aim is to travel the Digital World and reclaim the Codes and put an end to the machinations of the Whispered!" _she clenched her hand into a fist._ "So, I am asking you to help us somehow."

_Patamon took a moment. He was only a young Rookie level Digimon, and the idea that these humans and their Digimon Partners could be hurting anywhere close to how he was feeling was lost on him. They had to be lying. But then he looked up at Fumiko who was still coddling him, and the look in her eyes told him that maybe they weren't so different._  
"I… I'll go with you… So please stop being so upset." _Patamon said, Fumiko's eyes widening._  
"P-Patamon…" _she said with a stammer._ "Are you sure?"  
"Not really…" _replied the Digimon._ "But, if you all are like me, then I want to help you make a world where nobody loses their friends!"  
"Heh. Well then." _Takumi started, his voice cheerful._ "It sounds like we have twelve Digimon on our side!"  
"It seems you've wrapped up your 'plot hole' Takumi." _said Shoji._ "Shall we get going then, old boy?"  
"Yeah!" _replied the goggle boy._ "Onto the next Zone. I wonder where we'll end up…"  
"Next up is the Ocean Zone." _responded Yuki._ "The Zone dominated by Neptunemon."  
"Is that right?" _Takumi asked. _  
"That is correct." _Yuki answered._ "Now, come. There are those there who need your help."  
_'Our help?' Takumi wondered to himself. 'She meant 'our help', right?' he asked as they followed Yuki out of the safehouse and back into the village where Yusuke and Rina were playing with some of the native Digimon. The way Yuki had phrased that made him feel uneasy. Was the girl about to take off? Or did she have something else in mind? Takumi's mind suddenly had a million more questions. Why was she so sure that the Ocean Zone was next?  
_  
"Yusuke! Rina!" _Takumi called._ "We gotta go! Make sure you have everything you need."  
"Everything we need?" _suddenly came Koromon's voice from within the Digivice._ "That reminds me, Takumi. I'm starving. Can I have something to eat? PLEASE?"  
"Sorry, Koromon." _Takumi said with a sigh._ "I haven't got any more food to give you, buddy."  
"But Takumi!" _Koromon cried._ "I can't Zone Jump on an empty stomach! What if we get stuck and I starve to death? Huh?"  
"What if you…? What? Koromon! Don't say something like that!" _Takumi scolded before Yuki interrupted._  
"The Ocean Zone produces high quality DigiNoir, Koromon. If you can hold on just a bit longer, I'll pick you some myself."  
"DigiNoir?" _Koromon asked._ "What's that?"  
"It's a special kind of food that is great for building up a Digimon's strength."  
"A special food?" _Koromon questioned._ "Like a gourmet dish?"  
"Something like that." _Yuki replied, Koromon giggling happily within the Digivice to the point Takumi swore he could hear the In-Training level Digimon salivating._  
"Yuki-neesan! You're the best!" _Koromon called out gleefully._  
"Oi oi!" _Takumi scolded._ "Remember who your Partner is!"  
"Waah! Yuki-neesan! Takumi is scolding me again!" _Koromon whined, Yuki letting out a 'Hmph!' before turning away from the group, her long coat swooshing as she moved forward and held out her white Digivice._

"**DIGIPORT! OPEN!**" _she called, a beam of light shooting from the Digivice and becoming a portal like they had seen before, only this one was blue._

"So that's how it works?"_ questioned Takumi as the group gathered in front of the portal.  
_"Yes."_ Yuki replied as Hackmon and the Sistermon went back into her Digivice. _"When in possession of a Zone Code, all one needs to do is say those words, and a portal will open."_  
_"Then that means… We could go back to the Grass Zone whenever we wanted!"_ Takumi exclaimed.  
_"Quite right."_ Shoji joined in. _"We could go back and try and find the one who turned our friends to stone."  
"But, wait a minute." _The goggle boy started, looking at the white eyed girl. _"If I'm the one in possession of this Zone's Code, then how did you-"_ but before he could finish, Yuki had leapt into the vortex.  
_"Ugh. She answers one question and leaves us with a hundred more!"_ Fumiko called out as she grit teeth.  
_"All right then, after her!"_ Takumi commanded, pulling his goggles over his eyes. _"To the Ocean Zone!" _he said as he leapt through the vortex after Yuki, a part of him hoping against hope that this wasn't a setup of some sort._

"Not without me you don't chap!" _Shoji said as he followed through.  
_"And just WHERE do you two think you're going without me?"_ Fumiko called out as Tsunomon went back into the Digivice and she jumped through the portal.  
_"Heh, we'll get left behind if we don't hurry."_ Yusuke said with a smirk. _"Ready, Pinkie?"_ he asked as he looked to Rina who gave him a nod in response.  
_"They'll uh, they'll never get anywhere without us to um, bail them out, right?"_ she replied, the two sharing a laugh before leaping through after the rest of the group._

Landing with the usual scream and crash, Takumi twitched as he pulled himself off the ground and dusted the sand off his trousers.  
'Sand?' he wondered, looking around to see what looked like a tropical island. In front of the group were golden sandy beaches that ended with a sapphire blue ocean dead ahead. Palm trees decorated the Digidestined's line of sight, and as Takumi and the others looked around to find something they could use to get a better view of the area, they found Yuki standing with her back to them. Hackmon was by her side, but the Sistermon were nowhere to be found. As best as they could make out, Hackmon was eating something as in his hands he held a yellow and red hexagonal container.

"Nice of you to finally join us." _Yuki said, keeping her back to the group._ "This area is safe, you may release your Digimon Partners from the Digivices." _she continued. Her tone of voice was different, and Takumi had noticed that the air had gotten suddenly tense._  
"We're in the right place then…" _Takumi said slowly as he approached Yuki, keeping an arm extended to keep the rest of the group at bay. He was beyond paranoid at this point, but then his arm dropped as Yuki turned to face them. What he thought was her usual arms crossed stance was the crimson-haired girl holding multiples of those yellow and red containers._  
"Something the matter?" _she asked, Takumi shaking his head._  
"No." _he replied._ "Just a lack of common sense getting the better of me."  
"Well then. I promised Koromon some high quality DigiNoir, did I not?" _Yuki said, motioning to the containers._ "Let your Digimon out and we can all eat?"

"All?" _asked Rina._ "You want us to eat Digimon food?"  
"Rina. I assure you. This food is as good for humans as it is Digimon." _Yuki responded as Takumi and the others let Koromon and the other In-Training Digimon out. Yuki then handed each of the humans one of the DigiNoir containers. Koromon getting overly excited by the prospect of this new food._  
"Well, if you say so." _Rina chimed._ "You're one of us after all. You wouldn't lead us astray."  
"That's right." _Yusuke said as he examined the container._ "After all, we are all nakama here, isn't that right?"  
"Bon appetit." _Yuki simply replied as the group fed their Partners._  
"This whole Digital World is weird…" _Takumi finally said to break the very tense mood of the conversation as he dropped onto his butt and opened the container._ "I mean, you said this stuff grows on trees, and yet, here we are opening it as if it were bought from a store."  
"Who cares? Who cares?" _cried Koromon, his eyes spinning with hunger._ "Just gimme gimme gimme! If Yuki-neesan says this is gourmet, then I want to try it! I want to try it!"  
"Just making an observation." _Takumi sighed in response as he poured some of the DigiNoir into Koromon's mouth and then into his own. The two chomped and chewed, swirling the food around in their mouths before swallowing. They then looked to one another, broad smiles appearing on each of them as they seemed to jump twenty feet._  
"THIS STUFF IS AMAZING!"_ they yelled in unison and just as they settled, something strange happened._

"**KOROMON DIGIVOLVE TO…. AGUMON!**"

_The group looked on in surprise and then followed Takumi's example. As each In-Training level Digimon became their respective Rookie form, the Digidestined even noticed a resurgence of energy in themselves. _  
"I take it everyone is pleased with the DigiNoir then?" _Yuki asked in her usual dry voice before uncrossing her legs and standing up. _  
"I don't rather believe that simply being 'pleased' covers it, pet." _Shoji answered._ "Whatever is in this stuff seems to have completely revitalised not just the Digimon, but us also. I can only imagine that this Zone has a very high importance to the Olympus Whispered given such a potent, and did you say naturally grown, food source."  
"That's right." _the girl replied._ "And speaking of the Olympus. How do you all feel you are progressing here?"  
"Huh?" _Fumiko asked._ "What do you mean?"  
"Does it not bother you that you only seem to make it out of a battle here by the skin of your teeth?" _Yuki pressed._ "That even a single Champion level Digimon seems to give a group of five of you the utmost trouble?"  
"Hey now! That's not fair, Shirogane!" _Takumi protested._ "We're all still getting used to this!" _he stated._ "We've been having our own problems, and weren't used to fighting as a team. Just who are you to put us down like that?"  
"Fighting as a team, hm?" _Yuki mused._ "And you think that you're all on the same page, do you?"  
"More or less." _Takumi responded. He wanted to say Yes! without conviction, but he couldn't outright answer for everyone._  
"Well then, Akama-kun. Why not show me?" _the banchou continued as she took on a fighting stance. _  
"Just who the hell are you, really?" _Takumi asked as the group all stood up frantically._  
"I'll put it to you this way." _Yuki replied._ "Individually, you are all weak. As a team, you are all even weaker. It's a miracle you've even made it this far. If you want to make it farther than this, and be worthy of saving this world. If you want to prove that you are deserving of the title of Digidestined, then you're going to need to put your backs into it!"  
"What do you mean?" _Fumiko asked, her eyes narrowing as the new girl slammed every one of the team. _"And as Takumi asked. Who are you really?"  
"I am Yuki Shirogane!" _she replied._ "The Banchou of this Zone and the holder of this Zone's Code. And if you truly wish to keep Hackmon and I on your side, then you will have to prove you are capable of fending for yourselves and keeping together as a team."  
"You're the WHAT?!" _the others all exclaimed, human and Digimon alike._  
"No way!" _Takumi called._ "Now you're just bluffing!"

_Yuki held out her arm. A white diamond with an SD card shaped object inside emerged from it, the group gasped and Yuki put the Code away, crossing her arms under her chest._  
"But how?!" _Shoji exclaimed._ "It took the six of us working together just to get the Code that Takumi holds away from Centarumon. How can you possibly have this Zone's Code already?"  
"So that's what Centarumon meant!" _Agumon piped up._ "When his data was being reconfigured, he said something about Yuki-neesan's own accomplishments!"  
_The group's eyes all simultaneously buckled as in their minds, Yuki seemed to tower above them, Centarumon's words ringing in their heads. _  
"Then… the Dark Generals already know who Shirogane is!" _Takumi stated with a gulp. He wasn't sure if he was impressed or mortified by the girl._  
"To think that one person alone could be strong enough to retrieve the Code of a Zone by herself." _Shoji followed._  
"No way! Someone like that exists?" _Fumiko shuddered at the thought._  
"Th-that should ma-make h-her a l-legend in the Digital World by by itself." _Rina stammered._  
"Then, she wants us to take her on?" _Yusuke wondered aloud, thinking back to how she trounced him before._

"Taking you on one by one wouldn't even be enough to make me break a sweat." _Yuki said with what looked like the closest thing to a smirk Takumi had seen come from the girl since they met._ "Come at me all at once!" _she demanded._ "I gave you that DigiNoir to bolster your fighting spirits. So show me that this world can depend on you five!"  
_The group all looked at one another, then at their Digimon Partners as Hackmon took his place in front of Yuki. They all nodded, and the Digimon made their move on Hackmon._  
"**PEPPER BREATH!**" _called Agumon, spewing fireballs at Hackmon, but the opposing Digimon was much faster than Agumon had realised, each one of the fireballs missed._  
"**'MET TACKLE!**" _called Kamemon, the turtle Digimon launching himself at the white dino Digimon, but Hackmon simply spun around and bashed Kamemon aside with his tail._  
"**SUPER THUNDER STRIKE!**" _called Elecmon, the red and blue Digimon following up Takumi and Shoji's attacks, but Hackmon jumped through and dodged each lightning bolt, finishing up with a claw to Elecmon's face._  
"**MISCHEVIOUS HOOP!**" _Yusuke called in place of the ever silent Koemon, the Digimon trying to use its slingshot to trip Hackmon up, or so Hackmon thought, but the sling was being used to keep Hackmon in place while Floramon got in on the action._  
"**ALLERGY SHOWER!**" _she called, Hackmon's eyes glowing red briefly before he counter attacked with his drilling tail._  
"What a joke!" _grunted a very annoyed Yuki. _  
"**TEEN RAM!**" _Hackmon roared, breaking through Koemon's slingshot yet again, continuing to spin his tail until it created a blast of air that dispelled the Allergy Shower and made it disappear._

The five Digimon regrouped, Hackmon waiting to see which one would be next.

"So strong…" _murmured Rina. _  
"No wonder we've never seen Hackmon Digivolve." _Fumiko noted._ "He hasn't needed to."  
"But we can't give up here!" _Takumi stated._ "Agumon! Take Hackmon down!" _he called, Agumon nodding as he rushed Hackmon._  
"Takumi!" _Yusuke called._ "Hackmon CAN Digivolve. I've seen it. We can't let it get to that point."  
"What?" _Takumi called back._ "How long were you planning on holding that info?"  
"I didn't think THIS was going to happen. Figured you'd have seen eventually. Anyway, it's not like how our Digimon do it."  
"What do you mean?" _the goggle boy asked as Agumon and Hackmon came to blows._  
"**CLAW ATTACK!**" _roared Agumon as it ferociously snarled at Hackmon._  
"**FIFTH RUSH!**" _Hackmon roared back, the two Digimon's claws striking each other. And while a stare down of dino Digimon ensued, the other Rookies took this as their chance to attack. _  
"**POINTER ARROW!**" _called Kamemon, shooting a missile at Hackmon._  
"**BODY ATTACK!**" _called Elecmon, throwing its whole body at the Digimon._  
"**BABY SLING!**" _Yusuke called for his Partner, Koemon managing to use the remnants of his slingshot to launch one hundred pachinko balls at Hackmon._  
"**SWEET SCENT!**" _Floramon joined in, emitting a powerful aroma to catch Hackmon's attention and distract it for the other Digimon._  
_But in Hackmon's mouth, fire was billowing, and as he and Agumon kept each other from moving, he was charging a powerful attack. Waiting until the other Digimon got closer, he finally let it out._  
"**BABY FLAME!**" _he roared, a heavy stream of fire spewing from Hackmon's mouth in a wave that cut through the other Digimon's attacks and threw them back at their Partner's feet._  
"Is this really all you have?" _Yuki called out._ "Is this the true strength of my nakama?"

_Agumon picked himself up, he was hurt from Hackmon's attacks, but one look at Hackmon and there wasn't even a scratch on him._  
"We attacked with all we had…" _Agumon said sadly._  
"And we couldn't even touch him!" _Kamemon said wryly._  
"No! I refuse to let it end like this!" _Takumi called._ "We might not stand a chance, but we're the Digidestined summoned by Sanzomon. She had faith in us to save this world and that's just what we'll do! No matter who stands in our way! **AGUMON!**" _he called, readying the Digivice._ "**DIGIVOLVE!**"  
_Takumi pressed down on the buttons, and in a flash, Tyrannomon stood in Agumon's place, the larger dinosaur letting out a thundering roar as he charged at Hackmon._  
"**HACKMON! SUPER DIGIVOLVE!**" _called Yuki as she held up her arm._  
"Takumi, no!" _Yusuke called as Tyrannomon got closer to Hackmon, but in a flash, just as quick as Tyrannomon had appeared, he was reduced back to Agumon as a burst of energy threw all the Digimon and humans onto their backs._  
"Wh-what was that?" _Takumi said through a series of grunts as the groggy goggle boy tried to pick himself up. His eyes blurry, he looked forward to see a large Digimon return to Yuki's side and revert to Hackmon. He couldn't make out what the Digimon looked like. Only that it seemed to share Hackmon's colour scheme. Yuki then began to walk towards the group, but Takumi could feel himself drifting off, knocked out from whatever the Banchou had just unleashed on them_.

"You gave it all you had under insurmountable odds." _Yuki said, crouching in front of Takumi and holding his head up by the hair.  
_"Even with a weak attack formation." _she continued, her tone lighter than it had been._ "That is admirable, but it won't be enough to save you in the coming Zones. When you awaken, the next stage will begin. So look forward to it, neh. Rest now, Akama-kun. Digidestined-tachi. My nakama."  
_Takumi's eyes shut, and everything around him went silent._

When the group awoke, Yuki had vanished. Hackmon too was gone from the scene. Sitting up, they were bruised and groggy, but better than they could have been. Each one of them also felt lighter for a reason they couldn't place.   
"Uwaah!" _yawned Takumi._ "My head is pounding. What the heck happened?"  
"Ugh, Yuki-neesan happened." _commented Agumon as he tried pulling himself back onto his feet._  
"Yeah, the old girl really did a number on us." _Shoji snarked._ "And did she still refer to us as her nakama at the end?"  
"So I wasn't the only one who heard that." _Yusuke said as he and Koemon just gave each other a look that screamed 'She got us again!'. _  
"I… I think in her own way, Yuki-san is trying to help us." _Rina commented as she and Floramon made sure they were ok. Floramon had been blasted with Hackmon's Baby Flame after all, but the plant Digimon didn't seem to be showing any signs of immediate danger._  
"Help us how?" _Fumiko huffed, fixing her tracksuit kimono top which had come loose during the previous battle._ "By making it that she gets all the Zone Codes for herself? And why have both you and Agumon started giving her honorfics?!"  
"Ah! S-sorry, Fumi-san!" _Rina squeaked, pulling her knees to her face and burying her head._  
"Pinkie. It's fine. Fumiko's just annoyed that we lost." _Yusuke spoke up._ "And why shouldn't she be? The Banchou is seriously strong."  
"I'm not annoyed!" _Fumiko protested._ "I'm livid! How often are our supposed friends going to backstab us and just accept we be happy with it?"  
_At this, Yusuke lowered his head, not even bothering to sigh as he hung his head._  
"Oh, Yusuke. I'm sorry. I didn't mean-" _Fumiko tried to save the situation, but a dejected Yusuke simply waved her off.  
The group pulled itself into a circle, and just stared. First at each other, and then out into the ocean. Nobody knew what to say to cheer everyone else up. _  
"I want to believe that Rina is right about Shirogane." _Takumi finally said._ "If she was out to put us away, she'd have done it. Shirogane isn't one for games."

"Games. Ah. I believe that's my cue." _came a voice from behind the group, the group turning to see what looked like a tall, blonde young man. He wore what looked like a green cowboy outfit. Tipping his ten gallon hat which had a few holes in it and a long, red feather protruding from it as a greeting, he floated down from the sky above. His green jacket had lighter green cuffs and a lighter green scarf. He wore a white shirt and brown pants covered by green chaps, over which he wore brown pointed toe boots. A sword sat at each of the young man's hips and a bandana covered his lower face while a single red eye looked at them, the other covered by the young man's hair. If he wasn't a cowboy, he was a musketeer Takumi figured._

"Another human?" _Shoji asked._ "No, he has to be a Digimon. He was just flying!"  
"He looks like what would happen if Takumi and Shoji had a kid." _Rina said with a giggle before turning to Fumiko and getting a girlish giggle out of her._  
"Well, he does have my eyes, er, eye, er… WHY am I entertaining that thought?" _Takumi quickly got flustered as the Digimon watched on in silence. "Um, who are you?" he finally asked, holding out his arm to get a Digivice reading, when suddenly Takumi's eyes bugged out._  
"Where is my Digivice?!" _he cried out, the rest of the group doing the same as they realised that their own Digivices had gone missing. The Digimon then took their moment of confusion as his moment to interrupt._  
"Ahem. My name is Petermon." _stated the musketeer Digimon._ "I'm here on the orders of Ms. Shirogane to guide you to the next stage."  
"And just what is the next stage?" _Takumi asked, but before Petermon could reply, another, smaller Digimon interrupted. _  
"Hey! You forgot to introduce me!" _she said like a child who'd just been ignored. She brushed her long blonde hair which was tied up into a pony tail using a green bow behind her and blew the two long bangs that fell in front of her face out of her eyes. She wore a tight green tube top with a bell hanging around her neck, and green cut off shorts with pink suspenders that hung at the hip while her shirt had a pink strap seemingly fixed to the shirt over each shoulder, Takumi wondered if those were to keep the large yellow wings on the Digimon's back.  
The smaller Digimon's face had markings, while her left thigh had a tattoo of a heart with an arrow going through it. She wielded a red staff with three jagged blades at the top, her brown gloves had wasp body claw like fingernails and even the tips of her boots had what looked like stingers. Whoever she was, this Digimon was out to do serious damage whenever she could. _  
"Ah, forgive me, Tinkermon!" _Petermon pleaded as Tinkermon cuddled against him, drawing a single stinger clad finger along Petermon's cheek._  
"Hmph fine. Since it's you, Petermon!" _the fairy Digimon responds, Fumiko noting that Tinkermon's wings seemed to glow brighter as Petermon asked for forgiveness and just paid attention to Tinkermon in general._  
"Our Digivices!" _she says, breaking up the moment between Petermon and Tinkermon._

"Ah, right." _said Petermon with a jump._ "Ms. Shirogane has asked that I take you to some locations in the Ocean Zone in which the bonds between you, your friends and your Partner Digimon are to be tested. Should you overcome these trials, your Digivices will be waiting. Should you fail… well, let's just say it's in your best interest to succeed."  
"So much for 'she's not one for games', Takumi." _Fumiko snarked, Takumi clicking his tongue while Agumon pat him on the back in support. Fumiko was right of course, but he still believed that Rina was too, and whatever was ahead was to strengthen them as a team._  
"So, where are these places that you've to take us?" _Shoji asked, Petermon pointing to a mountain across the ocean. _  
"That's where we shall be starting. Infinity Mountain." _the musketeer Digimon answered, the group giving the green glad Digimon an aside glance._  
"And just how are we meant to get there?" _Elecmon asked._ "Unlike you two, we can't fly. Do you and that Yuki one expect us to swim across the Ocean Zone?"  
_Petermon shook his head in response. _  
"Of course not. You will be escorted by ship." _he answered, Tinkermon letting out a tut as Petermon mentioned the ship, the shine of her wings dimming a little._  
"Aw, you don't mean…" _she protested, Petermon just nodded._ "That's right." _he started as the shadow of an incoming ship overtook the group. The ship pulled to a halt and dropped its anchor before a Digimon came into the line of sight of the Digidestined from the deck of the ship._

_He looked like an older gentleman, well, he was a young, but older compared to Petermon, and was dressed in a black pirate outfit with a large hat emblazoned with a skull and cross bones. He had short, silver hair and a neatly kept goatee. An eyepatch covered his right eye and a massive revolver sat in place of his right leg while a long, three pronged hook was attached to this Digimon's left wrist. A pistol with a ridiculously long barrel sat on the Digimon's left hip. The Digimon's long, black coat billowed from atop his shoulders, hiding the pistol as it settled._  
"Ahoy, maties! So yer the ones that Admiral Shirogane has asked me to ferry across to Infinity Mountain, are ye?"  
"That's right…" _Takumi replied as she stepped forward to get a better look at this Digimon._ "And may we ask who you are?"  
"Arr! I be the gentleman of the seas. I be a friend to weak and strong Digimon alike. I am plunderer of treasure and seeker of high sea adventure.  
I be Captain Hookmon!"

"Captain Hook…mon!" _the group said in unison as they looked back at what they realised to be Peter Pan and Tinkerbell, then they looked back at Captain Hookmon who had readied a bridge or plank of some sort for them to climb onto his ship._

"At yer service, Digidestined." _he replied with a cheeky grin._

**END**


End file.
